Break Me Down
by Marisa
Summary: When Rufus Shinra’s life is threatened, he hires Cloud to protect his halfsister in Icicle Village. But why does she hate him? AU CloudTifa
1. Breaking the Habit

**Author's Notes and Warnings  
**1) The entire story is from Cloud's _slightly_ out of character point of view and with a short attention span, his thoughts tend to ramble off the subject.  
2) This is Alternate Universe. Although some events will be familiar, I've changed the timeline and a few other things around to fit the plot. It shouldn't be too confusing because Cloud's thoughts will pretty much tell everything.  
3) Lots of colorful, graphic language will be used.  
4) There will be some mild sexual content. Depending on my mood, I might write more explicit content that I'll edit out of the chapters before posting them on this site. But I'll make the full chapters available via email by special request.

**Disclaimer** – Cloud Strife and other characters and locations from _Final Fantasy VII_ and _Advent_ _Children_ are the property of Square-Enix.

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**Chapter 1 – Breaking the Habit**

Every bone in my body ached from the long hours riding Fenrir to and from Fort Condor. I thanked all the Gods I didn't have to make that trip more than once a month. But the payout for the job made up for all the days I had no deliveries.

It wouldn't be half as bad if I didn't have to deal with that damned Midgar Zolom every single time I needed to go south, resulting in two fights, once on the way to Fort Condor and again on the way back home. It had like a million lives or something. I lost count of how many times I killed it. The stupid thing just didn't want to stay dead.

I groaned in bliss as I crawled under the covers of my small, but comfortable cot. It felt good to sleep on a mattress, instead of the cold, hard ground. Granted, it wasn't one of those grand, queen-sized beds like Aeris had in her bedroom, but at least it didn't feel like I was sleeping on a bag of rocks.

I shut my eyes. No weird howls to wake me up in the middle of the night whenever I had to sleep outside while on the road. Peace and quiet at last.

Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!

A loud, female moan followed the banging on my wall. My eyes popped open and I waited. Maybe it was over.

"Yes…yes…YES!!! Ahh!!!"

Or not.

"You gotta be shitting me," I groaned. Not again! That was twice already this week and it was only Monday. I forgot about the howling in the night when I was home, and it wasn't coming from some wild animal. I rolled on my stomach and jammed the pillow over my head. Why did she have to bring that asshole here? Why couldn't they go to his place? Why did she have to be with him at all? I might have been more tolerable of any other guy…but not a fucking Turk. And the most annoying of them. Didn't she know all he wanted was a piece of ass…Her ass.

The banging on the wall got louder and it was like a constant stab of a knife right in my gut. I launched myself off my comfortable cot, slid into my pajama bottoms as I stumbled toward the door and flung it open.

What I wanted to do was walk up to Aeris's door and pound on it until it came off the hinges. But then she'd yell at me for being an idiot, which was pretty close to the truth to let this all happen right under my fucking nose.

Where could I go to escape the annoying sounds of sex? In a bottle, that's where.

I headed downstairs to the bar and proceeded to pour myself a hefty helping of alcohol, purposely choosing the best stock on the shelves. Even after drinking half the contents of the glass in one solid gulp, Aeris's cries of pleasure were still affecting me. Not to mention the full-blown erection happening in my pajamas…just imagining me being the one pounding into her. I had plenty of mental images because I nailed her once…back in our AVALANCHE days. That brought back some vivid memories…especially after she found out the guys had been sneaking peaks of our grand performance. Good times…

I plopped my butt on a barstool and emptied the rest of the glass down my throat, then poured myself another. Fuck! I should be the one making her cry out like that. There had been plenty of opportunities to continue where we left off…but I admitted being too chicken to advance the relationship. Something about _forever_ made me alittle sick to my stomach.

Aeris Gainsborough was my friend. I wanted to continue our friendship and didn't want anything like a _forever_ commitment fouling it up. Unfortunately she wasn't very receptive to my idea of 'friends with benefits'. So why was an occasional romp in the sack with her totally out of the question? I couldn't figure out why she wouldn't go along with it.

There were times I just didn't know how to act civilized around her because she drove me crazy and I hid my frustration behind rudeness and pessimism. She was convinced I was deathly allergic to commitment, and that might have been true because I liked my freedom and I liked doing whatever I wanted, on nobody's schedule but my own.

I was pretty sure she thought if she could make me jealous, then I'd change my tune and give her an engagement ring. That's how this all started...dating behind my back. Well, not really behind my back because she paraded her dates right in front of me. When that didn't work, she went through the Turks like a cyclone. First it was two guys I didn't know. Then it was Rude. Then Tseng. And then Reno. Except Reno suddenly became a permanent fixture. But I was a little surprised…and disappointed…that Aeris didn't make a play for Elena. I wouldn't have minded watching alittle of that action.

So what the hell was so special about Reno? "Mother fuckin' snake," I hissed through clenched teeth before taking another gulp from my glass. Muscling in on my territory…my girl.

Other than the boyfriend/girlfriend crap I had no use for, I felt so undeserving and inadequate around Aeris. In truth I was seriously insecure, even if I didn't show it. She was beautiful and charming and likeable, whereas I was hard-headed and ignorant and a real prick when I wanted to be. I was always saying the wrong things at the wrong time.

Plus she was a Cetra, the last of the Ancients. I had her so high on a pedestal, I couldn't even reach her.

"Ohhh, Reno!!!"

I gulped down more alcohol until the bottle was two spits shy of being empty. Wow, that didn't take long. Maybe I could go back to bed now and pass out. I stumbled off the barstool, losing my grip on the glass. It hit the floor with a loud shatter. "Oops…"

Hm…the sounds immediately ceased upstairs. Finally! Silence.

I carefully tried to avoid stepping on the broken glass with my bare feet and nearly fell over. Oh, come on. I couldn't be that drunk. It was only one bottle. Get your skinny, pansy ass moving, Strife.

Just as I staggered around the bar, a vision in pale pink silk floated down the stairs and approached me. It was Aeris. Damn, she looked all innocent and virginal. But that was far from the truth. How many guys had she been with anyway? Probably more than the number of girls I had gone all the way with…all three of them. Including Aeris. It might have been more, I just couldn't remember. But lately whenever I was with someone, I got to a certain point and things would just stop cooperating. Anger wasn't a harsh enough word to describe the resulting tone when I told them I was done.

I straightened up as I faced Aeris and tried to appear nonchalant. "Hi."

"Cloud, I didn't think you'd be home so early."

I gestured toward the floor. "I accidentally…broke a glass."

"Are you drunk again?" she accused.

I met her narrowed green eyes, but was instantly drawn by her cleavage when she crossed her arms. I think she did things like that on purpose, pushing her jugs up higher for me to notice…and picture unclothed. "No…" But I sounded unconvincing even to me. In the last two months I think I was more drunk than sober.

She glanced toward the bar and suddenly rushed over to the empty bottle sitting on top. "Oh, Cloud. Do you have any idea how much this stuff costs?"

"Yeah, and it's worth every gil, too."

"Then why'd you drink all of it?"

Here was the problem. I occasionally said the wrong things when I was stone-cold sober. But with a little alcohol in me, it was a sure thing. "I needed something to drown out the noises coming through my fucking wall, alright!" There, I finally said it right to her face.

Her cheeks suddenly turned a shade of crimson. "I…I didn't think you were home."

"Never stopped you before." My bitterness was really starting to show and I hated when I didn't care that I was upsetting her.

"Fine." She folded her arms again. "I'll try and contain myself from now on."

I scowled at her and my mouth was about to get away from me again. "How come you let him do that?"

"Let him do what?"

"Let him have his way with you."

She looked pissed. "Because it makes me feel good."

I stalked toward her and she backed away until I had her against the wall. "I made you feel good once, Aeris. I can do it again."

She pushed against my chest, trying to keep me off her. "Cloud, we've been through this a million times."

I leaned to the side of her neck and inhaled her scent…except it was mingled with someone else's…Reno. "Can't we just try it?"

"No. I told you I want more than just a relationship based on sex."

Well, she was certainly giving Reno enough of it. I'd be happy with three or four times a week, too. Did she really think Reno would give her the commitment she wanted and make her happy? I wanted to voice my thoughts, but I suddenly couldn't get my mouth to function the right way. Besides, the scent of Reno on her was making me sick and I felt like I was about to puke.

This was not me. I never got mad at her. I never solicited her like this. It was degrading to me and to her. I was starving for sex, deprived for longer than I could remember and the lack of it was turning me into someone I didn't even recognize.

Why couldn't things go back to the way they were before we disbanded AVALANCHE? When sex was the furthest thing from my mind. Not like now, thinking about it all the time…but not with just anyone, just her. I was terminally bored. Not even my delivery business kept my mind preoccupied enough to not think about it. But no matter how hard I tried to relieve the torture, the more I couldn't seem to find the fulfillment for myself or the one I was with.

Aeris was a hard habit to break. Yeah, what a laugh. I did her once and it ruined me for anyone else.

As I pushed away from her, the room started spinning and I fell against the wall beside her. My knees gave out and I slid down the wall.

"Come on, let's get you back in bed," she said with a small laugh.

I allowed her to steer me toward the stairs. She couldn't get me up on my feet, so I opted to just crawl. When I finally got to my bed, I welcomed the dark oblivion that awaited me. Away from her and her alluring cries of passion that got me so fucked up I wanted to cry.

It was all her fault.

* * *

A loud ringing woke me, but I couldn't open my eyes. They seemed to be glued shut. The ringing continued and I realized it was my phone. I blindly pawed the space above my head until my hand fell on the offending gadget. Normally I checked the display to see who was calling, but I didn't want to open my eyes yet. Flinging my cellphone open, I coughed to clear my scratchy throat before speaking. "Strife." 

"Cloud…did I catch you at a bad time?"

"Who's this?" I asked blandly, not recognizing the voice right away.

"Rufus Shinra."

I managed to pop open one eye. "How'd you get my number?" After losing my phone a couple months ago and getting another one, I made sure no one had my number except my close friends. So how did Rufus get it?

"I have my sources," he chuckled.

Reno. It had to be. The bastard probably checked my phone behind my back and got the number off of it. The asshole tried to kill me on more than one occasion awhile back, so I had my reasons for not trusting him…or anybody associated with Shinra?

"You sound a bit under the weather, Cloud. Are you sick?"

Rufus Shinra was at the top of my list of people I didn't trust. But I was curious to know why he was calling me, so I decided to humor him. "Had a date with a bottle of Blue last night."

"Ah, Aeris and Reno. I see."

I sat up and stared at the phone with my mouth open. Did everyone on the planet know how much I hated the relationship between Aeris and Reno? This was getting old real quick. "No, you don't see. Just get to the point, Shinra. I'm a busy man."

"Alright. You're obviously not familiar with patience."

"Not when you and your Turks are involved."

"I have a job for you."

Why wasn't I surprised to hear he wanted my help again? "Sorry, I'm too busy these days."

"Too busy for half a million gils?"

I juggled the phone in my hands, nearly dropping it as I swung my legs over the side of my cot. I was wide awake now. "What kind of job pays that much? You want me to kill somebody?"

"Not quite. Come to Healin and I'll give you the details."

"I'll think about it." I slapped my phone shut before he could convince me otherwise. Hell, who was I kidding? Five hundred thousand gils was a fortune for us…for me and Aeris. Emerald Weapon couldn't keep me from going to Healin. At least to find out what kind of a job paid that kind of money.

* * *

This was the second time in under two months I paid Healin a visit. The last time had been to find out three clones that had been trying to kill me were looking for Jenova's head, which eventually resulted in Sephiroth's resurrection. Scared the shit out of me that time because I remembered killing him two times before that. Once in the reactor at Nibelheim when I was just a Shinra guard and the second time in the North Cave when I was with AVALANCHE. But I defeated him for the third time. Just like that Midgar Zolom, Sephiroth didn't like to stay dead. I wouldn't be surprised if a couple years down the road, he'd suddenly show up again somewhere. Maybe cleaning tables at a diner in Kalm. 

Why couldn't Zack come back from the dead? I could have used his help in some tight spots. Plus he'd know how to handle Aeris. They had a thing back when I was still at the SOLDIER academy. On more than one occasion…eighteen to be exact…Aeris told me I reminded her of Zack. It was probably the main reason she liked me around. Forget the fact that she called out _his_ name instead of mine that one time we did it.

Thinking of Zack made me recall that there were still so many gaps in my earlier life I couldn't remember. Occasionally I'd get some of it back…sometimes sparked by a person or an object. It sucked living this way, but one thing was certain, whatever suppressed memories remained locked in my head, maybe it was better they stayed like that.

As I pulled up near the Healin complex and dismounted, I noticed a legion of Shinra guards standing in various places around the perimeter. A glance up the hill revealed more guards. Since when did Healin need so much security? Something was definitely going on and my interest was peaked.

I approached the wooden stairway only to be stopped by a guard.

"State your business," he said with firm authority.

"Shinra's expecting me."

He stared into my eyes for a minute before he decided to let me pass.

Then came the long walk up to the side entrance. With Rufus Shinra in a wheelchair, why didn't they just install an elevator? Dumb asses. Eh, I wouldn't have taken it anyway. I hated elevators. I had enough of them while sneaking around Shinra headquarters not too long ago.

At the top, I barged through the door, expecting to be confronted by Rude. Not Reno because the jackass was probably still with Aeris…which was where I should have been.

Instead I found Shinra himself, the self-appointed President of the only power company in the world, standing near the window. Standing? What happened to the wheelchair?

"I'm glad you decided to come, Cloud."

I shifted from one foot to the other, feeling a weird sense of Dejavu. "I thought you were in a wheelchair." That's how I found him the last time I was at Healin a couple months ago.

Shinra turned around to face me. "It was only temporary due to the geostigma. But it was mainly to confuse my enemies into thinking I was…"

I really didn't care so I cut him off before he really started babbling. "So what's this job you mentioned?"

"Did you happen to notice the guards outside the compound?"

"What's going on, Shinra guard convention?"

He ignored my joke like it never happened. "An increase in security has recently become necessary. I've called on all hands to provide surveillance at Healin and at…"

Was he ever going to just get to the point? Rufus Shinra was a man of too many fucking words. He had no clue how to summarize. I folded my arms and made a show of impatience.

He immediately stopped rambling and folded his hands behind his back. "I've received a number of death threats in the last two days."

"No shit?" I wasn't too surprised. Afterall, the guy had been responsible for some major destruction over the last couple years. But I thought he was one of the good guys now…or at least the newspapers said that about him.

Not that I believed what was in the papers anyway. I didn't trust reporters lately. Mainly because they liked to make up stories about me and the other members of AVALANCHE. Somehow or another, we became famous after that incident with the Bahamut summoned by Kadaj a couple months ago. Too many witnesses and too many people with cameras snapping pictures of me beating the crap out of the giant, fireball- breathing monster. The latest headline was a big joke: 'Cloud Strife Hooks Up Six Times' and the story went on to say I got with half a dozen hookers in a Strip Club. They even had a picture of me walking out of the place. Nobody bothered to ask me the real reason I was there…to deliver something. I mean, come on, six hookers? Who the hell had that kind of energy anyway? Not me.

"I'm in need of a bodyguard," Rufus continued.

Breaking out of my wandering thoughts, I looked up at him. "What for? You've got six hundred men working for you."

"That may be so, but this is more on a one-on-one level. I thought of you right away. Day and night surveillance. For as long as it takes the threat to be eliminated."

Was he crazy? The last thing I wanted was to spend every second of my day with him. He'd probably drone on and on and ON about shit I didn't give a rat's ass about. Then I'd have to slice my wrists just to drown him out.

"You're the only one I trust to such a task. I need your exceptional skills of observation."

I scratched the back of my head. Yeah, I was exceptional when it came to observing, but I wasn't going to be lured by his sneaky tactics. I didn't take compliments too well anyway. In fact, he sounded desperate…a little too desperate. Maybe he was thinking I'd be doing him some extra…favors. Hell, it was time to just tell it like it is. "To be honest, Rufus, I can't stand being around you." No need to beat around the bush.

Shinra chuckled. "The feeling is mutual, Cloud."

"Then why the hell're you wasting my time?" I turned around to leave. This guy was obviously not dealing with a full deck. Maybe the geostigma got to his head.

"I'm not asking for you to be _my_ bodyguard. It's for my little sister."

Rewind…I turned back to Rufus. "Sister?"

Rufus went inside his white suit jacket pocket and pulled something out.

As he held it out to me, I walked over and took it. It was a picture of a kid…about twelve or thirteen. Short, stringy, dark brown hair, huge front teeth, enormous brown eyes. Something was familiar about the girl, but the nag at the back of my head wouldn't give me any hints. I looked up and took in Rufus's blonde hair and blue eyes, then looked back down at the girl in the picture. They didn't look anything alike. "I don't see the resemblance."

"I look more like the mother we had in common, whereas she has her father's traits and last name."

I handed the picture back to him. "So you're gonna pay me half a million gil to babysit your kid sister?"

"My fear is that whoever's behind the death threats will find and use her to get to me."

"She's not living with you?"

"No, she's in a private school in Icicle Village. That's where I need you to go."

Icicle Village? I groaned. Couldn't it have been in a warmer place, like Costa del Sol? Even Mideel would have been better. I nearly froze my nuts off the last time I was at Icicle Village. Seriously, they were frozen and I kept waking up at some old guy's cabin. Come to think of it, I was pretty sure I didn't see anything that looked like an academy. "I gotta check my busy delivery schedule, so I'll get back to you."

Rufus chuckled and it was starting to annoy me. "Be honest, Cloud. Business has been rather slow for you for some time now, don't you think?"

I frowned at him. "How would you know anything about my business?"

He smiled that sneaky smile I wanted to punch right off his face. "I have my sources."

Again with the sources. "Take your sources and shove 'em." I turned with the intention of walking out for sure this time. Fuck him, fuck his sister, fuck the whole Shinra army. And fuck the money…even if it was more than I'd ever see in my lifetime. I didn't like being spied on and I needed to do something about it real quick.

The door suddenly opened and Reno strolled in. "Hey, Cloud. How's it hanging, man?"

I stared at the redhead for an undetermined amount of time. He looked cheerful and was grinning like someone who had gotten laid all night long by somebody else's girlfriend. I wanted to amputate his head. Somehow or another I had a feeling I'd be subjected to more of the previous night's activities. No way could I go through another night of that shit. If I couldn't be the one in Aeris's bed, then I didn't want to see any other guy there. I'd just leave for awhile. Maybe she'd miss me so much that she'd dump Reno and come around to seeing things my way.

Turning back to Rufus, I forced my most sincere smile. But I was pretty sure it looked more like I was baring my teeth like an angry wolf. "You got yourself a bodyguard."

_

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I'm still working on "Addiction", so no worries about me abandoning it. It's just that I started writing this one and I'm having way too much fun with Cloud's point of view._

_Please review. I'd like to know if this is worth continuing._


	2. Out of Place

Author's Note – Thanks for the great reviews, everyone. It looks like there's definitely an interest for me to continue this one. Just wanted to comment on Cloud's attitude. I'm trying to capture more of the cocky, sarcastic, naive, whatever-will-be-will-be attitude he had in the FF7 game. He wasn't so vocal in Advent Children, obviously because he was consumed with guilt over the way Aeris died and loss of confidence in himself because of the Geostigma. Well, Aeris is alive in my fic and Cloud's guilt has been replaced with sarcasm and bitterness, as his thoughts went on to say in the first chapter. But that doesn't mean he's going to be a jerk throughout the entire story. I've got quite a lot written already and there are some funny moments to come, of which Cloud will have plenty to say in his head. I hope you all decide to stick with me through this story's good and bad times ahead.

On to the next chapter…

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Chapter 2 – Out of Place**

"How long are you going to be gone?" asked Aeris as she hopped on my cot, making the springs creak.

I stuffed my clothes in a duffle bag. It was small enough to fit in the storage compartment of my bike, so I was limited to what I could bring. "I don't know. I guess it depends how long it takes Shinra to find the person behind the death threats." I grabbed my mp3 player and some magazines off my desk.

"But that could be weeks…even months. Who's going to help me with the bar?"

I was never around to help with the bar, so why was she even asking me that? "He's paying me a lot of money." I didn't want to tell her how much because like me, she didn't fully trust Shinra and she'd try to convince me he had something up his sleeves.

My eyes drifted over to the snowboard resting against the wall near the window. A kid in Icicle Village traded it to me for something I couldn't remember. When I first used the snowboard, I crashed quite a few times, but I got good at it and even though it had been freezing cold on that mountain, it was still a lot of fun. I walked over and grabbed it, figuring I could get in a couple days of snowboarding while I was there.

"It's not about the money, Cloud. You don't have to take this job."

I stopped and looked up at her. "Look, Aeris, I just need to go. Okay?"

"It's about last night, isn't it? It's because I brought Reno home again."

Yeah, it had a lot to do with last night, but I wasn't about to admit outloud. I had my pride. I didn't want to sound like the sex-deprived loser that I was. Out of anyone I knew, I wanted her to be the one to believe the story about me and the hookers. I even bragged about it when she first read the story a few days ago. But she just shook her head and laughed at me, saying I couldn't even handle one hooker, much less six. How would she know? "It's not about last night and it's not about Reno. You can do whatever you want." I zipped up my duffle and dragged it off the bed.

Aeris followed me out of my room and down the stairs. "Cloud, wait."

I stopped at the back door and turned to her. "Don't worry. I'll call you…to check on the bar and stuff." I wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of knowing that I'd be calling just to hear her voice because I'd really miss her.

"You know, the Icicle Village Academy is an all girls' school."

WHAT?! Rufus forgot to tell me that important fact. "I know that." I didn't want Aeris to know that I didn't know.

"Don't you think you'll feel out of place there?"

Me in an all girls' school? Damn right I'd feel out of place. "It's just a bunch of kids. Won't make a difference to me."

She suddenly threw herself at me, squeezing her arms around my neck and pressing her soft assets…my favorite ones…against my chest. "Please be careful, okay?"

I almost wanted to change my mind about going. All she had to do was tell me not to go and that she'd dump Reno. It'd be worth losing the half a million gil.

"I guess Reno will have to keep me company while you're away."

Almost. "Yeah, sure. He'll keep you company." I pulled away from her and walked out. As I drove Fenrir out from under the canopy in the alley, I didn't bother looking back because I knew she wouldn't be standing there to see me off. She used to, but not for awhile. Not since Reno came into the picture.

Knowing I was going to be gone for an indefinite amount of time actually gave me a sense of freedom and relief. Maybe it was because I wouldn't be subjected to seeing Aeris getting hot with Reno. Or maybe it was a premonition that I needed to just let her go. Afterall, it was apparent she had decided to move on. Well now it was my turn.

* * *

I sat on Fenrir with my arms folded, watching a large chopper approach the landing pad near Healin. Standing next to me was Rufus and behind us was half the Shinra squad. 

The chopper touched down smoothly and a ramp slowly lowered beneath the back end.

"Remember what I told you," said Rufus. "No one but the school principle knows she's my sister."

I gave him a nod.

"Take care of her, Cloud. She's all I have left."

I half turned toward Rufus as I started the engine. Sentimentality just didn't seem to fit his persona. I wanted to leave before he started crying on my shoulder about stuff I didn't care about. "Don't worry about it." I pulled forward and drove Fenrir up the ramp and into the chopper. Once inside, I dismounted and proceeded to lock the bike down for the two hour trip north.

The pilot didn't wait for me to finish and the chopper left the ground, nearly knocking me off my feet and my bike on top of me. Son-of-a-bitch!

After making sure Fenrir was safely locked down for the flight, I squeezed through the small door to the cockpit. "Couldn't you wait until I was done back there?" I angrily asked the pilot. Then I saw who it was. Blazing red ponytail. Shit. I just couldn't get away from this guy.

"Sorry, Cloud," Reno replied in his easy-going, matter-of-fact manner. "I'm on a tight schedule. Gotta get back in time for some of Aeris's famous fried cactaur."

There wasn't any room to sit in the cargo bay and there weren't any other seats in the cockpit except for the one next to him, so I didn't have much of a choice. I plopped myself down in the passenger seat. "Right, no sense in missing that," I said sarcastically.

From the corner of my eye, I observed Reno's lax posture behind the chopper's controls. If we crashed I'd kick his sorry ass down into the abyss that used to be the Temple of the Ancients. See him try to climb out of that fucking hole.

"You know, Cloud, I can't figure it out myself, but Aeris really worries about you."

I turned to stare out the window, already feeling queasy from the chopper's motion. "Yeah, whatever." If she worried about me so much, then how come she couldn't see how she was killing me everytime I saw her with some guy…especially Reno. I mean, the Turks tried to kill us. Not to mention all the times they managed to kidnap her and tried to run experiments on her because she was a Cetra. What was she doing with a guy like Reno? She could do so much better than him. At least I had the decency not to date an ex-enemy. How would she like it if I suddenly showed up with that crazy bitch slapping, Scarlet? Ugh, scratch that. I'd rather make out with a Wolfmeister.

Reno sighed in contentment. "Ah, she's really something, isn't she? I've never been with anyone with such an insatiable appetite. Only the Gods know how much I love to make that girl scream out my name."

I rolled my eyes and drummed my fingers on the arm rest.

"I can't believe I'm actually saying this, Cloud, but I think I'm really falling for her."

I let out an exaggerated sigh. "Will you just shut up and fly the fucking chopper?"

"Fine." He sounded insulted. "Last time I ever pour my heart out to you."

He didn't have a heart to pour out! Two hours to get to Icicle Village. If he didn't shut up, I'd never make it without jumping through the cockpit window.

My stomach started doing flip flops. I hated that I was susceptible to motion sickness. I put my feet up on the console in front of me, hoping it'd help stabilize me.

"Hey, get your clodhoppers off my equipment."

"Bite me," I replied before folding my arms across my chest and closing my eyes. Time to catch up on my beauty sleep.

* * *

The Icicle Village Academy building was huge. It was shaped like a U, with a mile of manicured lawn underneath a fresh layer of morning frost. Surrounding the property was a fifteen foot high iron fence and beyond that was a forest that stretched in every direction. 

As I looked toward the mountain further away, where I knew Icicle Village was situated at the top, I realized the academy wasn't anywhere near it. It was still close enough to be cold, but maybe it didn't get dumped on with as much snow as I thought it would.

So much for snowboarding in my spare time.

A little further down through the forest was another building, similar to the one we were approaching. But I couldn't see what was on the sign with the trees in the way.

Next to me, Reno was talking to somebody on the radio, getting clearance to land on the courtyard near the front gate, which was a quarter of a mile away from the front of the building. "Just forewarning you, my passenger has a mean-looking crotch rocket…Yeah, it's a motorcycle…" He pulled off his headset. "Dumb shit."

After Reno landed the chopper, he turned in my direction with a smirk. "Well, here we are, Cloud."

I got out of the seat and slipped through the door to the back.

"Not even a thank you? Fuck you, too, man."

I unhooked Fenrir and mounted up, waiting for the ramp to lower. When it was halfway down, I revved the engine and shot backward. As I landed, I spun Fenrir around and headed for the front of the building. With a quick glance over my shoulder, I saw the chopper rise back into the air. Good riddance to Reno.

Up ahead, twenty or thirty steps led up to a large landing in front of the entrance. Standing at the top were three men dressed in dark suits. Turks? No, they looked too old.

I drew Fenrir to a stop at the foot of the stairs and turned off the engine. Before dismounting, I flipped the switch to open the fenders. I pulled my Apocalypse sword out of its slot and slipped it in the harness at my back. As an afterthought I pulled out the Organics blade, harnessing it with the other. After putting away my goggles and closing the fenders, I dismounted and made my way up the stairs.

One of the men stepped forward away from the others and held his hands up. "I'm sorry, but weapons are not allowed inside the building."

I stopped in front of him. "Who the hell're you?"

"The name's Hutchins. I'm in charge of security."

I looked him up and down. This old fart was in charge of security? Give me a break. "My purpose here requires me to carry weapons."

"Regardless of your purpose, Mr Strife, we have rules."

So he knew my name. Shinra obviously informed the necessary people that I'd be arriving. I glanced at the others before turning back to Hutchins with one of my cocky grins. "I'll make you a deal, Hutchins. You let me keep my weapons, I'll let you keep your arms."

He paled a little and seemed to think about it for a minute. Then he motioned me to follow him. As I passed the other two, they fell in behind me. I found it pretty funny that they thought it necessary to escort me. What'd they think I was going to do, steal some first grader's artwork off the bulletin boards?

A bell rang just as we went through the front entrance and in the next instant the foyer was swarming with white shirts and red plaid skirts. Curious young eyes followed my every move and I heard excited whispers and giggles around me. At first I felt a little uncomfortable, but then I remembered I wasn't the only guy around. There were the three escorting me somewhere. The three _older_ men, that is. Even though the girls were just a bunch of kids, I still felt alittle awkward, like I was walking through some forbidden sanctuary.

Luckily we didn't have far to go as Hutchins motioned me through a door at the end of the hallway, cutting off the whispers and the giggles and the stares. I was pretty sure I heard the words 'hot' and 'nice sword' among the mumbles, just before the door was closed behind me.

I found myself alone in an office. Big wooden desk, shelves full of books, very scholarly looking place. I walked over to read some of the book titles. I wasn't much of a reader, unless you counted magazines…news, mechanics, porn. The last time I picked up a book was back at the SOLDIER academy. Hell, that was like five years ago. With nothing to do but watch over a stupid kid, maybe I'd get a chance to read a few books. "Yeah, sure…like what?" I asked myself. If Aeris were here, she'd probably suggest some kind of self-help book, like 'How to Improve Your Attitude at Social Functions' or 'How to Be Friends with_out_ Benefits'.

The door opened and an overly thin woman in a conservative gray suit walked in. Her dark hair was streaked with gray and was pulled back in a bun so tight, the skin on her face looked like it was stretched back with it, just to minimize the wrinkles.

She made her way around the desk. "Please have a seat, Mr Strife." She sat in a high-backed chair and folded her hands on top of a manila folder.

As I stepped closer, I eyed the cushioned chairs in front of the desk, knowing I'd never be able to sit down with the equipment strapped to my back. And I wasn't about to take the time to unstrap the harness. "I'll stand, thanks."

"As you wish." She cleared her throat and stared at me like I was a bug on a wall she wanted to crush with the flat heel of her black shoe. "We need to go over a few rules before I allow you to remain here."

I shrugged. "Okay."

"This is an all _girls'_ school, Mr Strife."

I smirked. "Really? I didn't notice."

Her face didn't change, forcing me to lose the smile. Apparently this woman had no sense of humor. She opened the manila folder in front of her and raised a pair of bifocals to her nose. "It says here you were a radical."

"A what?"

"A radical. A member of a reckless group called AVALANCHE, responsible for the destruction of various sectors in Midgar. Not to mention the destruction of the Temple of the Ancients, the launching of the landmark in Rocket Town, luring Ultimate Weapon to Mideel resulting in the town's destruction. And of course, there's the cannon incident at Junon which could have gone far better without your involvement."

I frowned, wondering where she could possibly have gotten any kind of information on me or my team. "Who's saying we were reckless?"

She looked up and removed her glasses. "I'm not interested in debating the facts with you, Mr Strife."

"Well, those aren't the facts. Whoever said all that is wrong." I really didn't need to defend myself to her or anybody else, but I hated when people talked crap about AVALANCHE without knowing the truth and realizing we were ultimately responsible for the survival of mankind on this world. This lady had no idea what she was talking about.

"I mentioned those incidents for a reason. What I need is some kind of assurance you won't do anything reckless that might damage school property, or harm any student or staff member."

I glanced at the name on the desk. Dolores Redgrave. I filed it away in my head because I planned to do my own investigating. For all I knew, she could have been selling young girls to Don Corneo before his untimely demise. Was that in her file? "I can't make any promises without knowing what kind of threat I'm dealing with. I'm not saying I'll intentionally hurt anybody, but if they get in my way…well, sorry."

"Sorry?"

"Yeah, sorry. That's the best I can give you."

She huffed heavily. "I must tell you, if Mr Shinra wasn't providing monthly contributions to the school, we would not be having this discussion. I would have had his sister removed from the premises."

The image of Heavy Tank came to mind. That's what this woman reminded me of...not big like the creatures I fought in the demolished reactor at Gongaga…just the same bad attitude. I knew right away we'd be locking horns from this day forward. "There won't be any problems as long as everyone stays out of my hair, including you."

She gave me a reprimanding glare before looking back down at my file with her glasses.

I really wanted to get my hands on that folder and find out where the hell it came from. Had Rufus given it to her? Or did she have her own _sources_.

"Having attended a strict academy such as SOLDIER, you should be familiar with the seriousness of following rules."

"Sure. No girls in the room, no late night drinking, study, study, study."

Removing her glasses again, she gave me an even harsher look. "The same rules apply in this academy."

I held my hands up in defense. "Hey, I'm not here to party or play hopscotch with a bunch of little girls. I'm here to protect just one. The less contact I have with anybody else, the better for me."

Redgrave gave me a once-over…twice. "I will have Hutchins provide you with adequate accommodations."

"Where's her room?"

"In the east wing."

"Is she alone?"

"Each room accommodates two girls, so she shares her room with one other girl."

"Lose the roommate and put me in her room."

Redgrave gasped. "That is completely out of the question."

I had enough of this First Class witch. I dug my phone out of my pocket, flipped it open and started punching numbers.

"Who are you calling?"

I ignored her and put the phone to my ear. "Hey, Rufus. It's Strife."

Redgrave stood up. "Now see here…"

"Is everything all right, Cloud?" asked Rufus.

"Actually no. I wanna tell you about the uncooperative principle of the school, the one keeping me from protecting your sister."

"Well, I never…" she mumbled on.

"Put Principle Redgrave on," said Rufus.

I held the phone out and gave her my best smile. "He wants to talk to you."

She took the phone and put it to her ear. "This is Principle Redgrave." Her eyes fluttered nervously. "Yes, but…There are certain things that…No, of course not, Mr Shinra, and the school greatly appreciates your contributions…Yes…Yes…However, our policies restrict…" She actually looked a lot paler as she continued to listen. "But his request is quite inappropriate for…Yes…Yes…Very well, I…I will see to it personally. Good day."

I caught my phone as she tossed it back to me. "Well?"

Redgrave squinted her eyes in my direction. "It'll take some time to move Miss Collins out of the room."

"Fine. I can wait. And find me a place to park my motorcycle. I don't want it out in this shitty weather."

She looked ready to argue with me, but then sat back down in her chair. "Very well. Let me arrange for your requests to be carried out." She picked up her telephone. "Hutchins, I need you to arrange a room transfer."

There was a knock on the door.

"Hang on." Redgrave raised her head. "Come in." Then she went back to her call. "Move Miss Collins out of room 314…"

The door opened and I did a double-take when I noticed the long-haired babe that just walked in. The expression on her face went from shocked to happy to angry in less than five seconds. If she wasn't wearing a school uniform, I would have thought she was a teacher. But she looked about eighteen or nineteen, a little too old to be going to this school.

Damn, she had nice legs, too. When my eyes drifted back up to her face, I realized she caught me eyeballing her. And I couldn't say I was being very discreet about it. She was incredibly hot, I couldn't help myself! "Hi," I said.

She gave me a cold frown and didn't answer back.

Did I say something wrong? I said 'hi', I didn't say 'nice hooters', which was the thought in my head at the time.

"Yes, and do it quickly…Good." Redgrave hung up the phone.

I gave the hot girl a smile…the one that normally earned me a smile in return. But she didn't buy it. If anything, her scowl deepened.

"Miss Lockhart, would you kindly explain why it took you ten minutes to get here from your classroom which is only down the hall?"

What? Did Redgrave just call her Miss Lockhart? WHAT?? The smile fell from my face.

"Sorry, Miss Redgrave," she said. "I was in the Ladies Room."

"When you are summoned to my office that does not mean stopping anywhere else along…"

I cut into their debate. "Hang on a second, this is a mistake. I'm looking for a twelve or thirteen year old kid named Tifa Lockhart." I pointed a finger toward Long Legs. "That's not her."

Redgrave looked at me like I had just grown a second head. "This _is_ Tifa Lockhart."

"No," I said with a shake of my head as I pulled a picture out of my pocket and tossed it on the desk. "Rufus gave me that."

Redgrave looked at the picture. "This photograph is obviously several years old. Miss Lockhart is eighteen now."

When Reno ended up being my pilot, I thought my day couldn't get any worse. Well, I was wrong. The thirteen year old, snot-nosed kid I was supposed to protect, turned out to be a long-legged, drop-dead gorgeous angel with a rack I could lose myself in. The last time I played bodyguard to a woman like her was Aeris and that got me nothing but mental grief.

I scratched my head and walked away from the desk. "Shit." Would they notice if I killed myself now? Because I'd be doing it soon if I had to be in the company of this hot girl and be consciously cautious of my own actions.

"I've called you in here, Miss Lockhart, for two reasons. The first is to tell you that your brother has hired this bodyguard for your protection."

Tifa gave me a brief disgusted glance before addressing Redgrave. "Protection from what?"

"It seems Mr Shinra received several death threats and he fears the person responsible might come after you."

"Well, don't you think it would be better if I went home?"

I jumped in before Redgrave agreed. "Not a good idea. No one knows there's any connection between you and Shinra."

Tifa's disgusted cold glare continued. "Rufus obviously has his entire squad protecting him. I think I'd be better off with him than here with _you_."

So now she didn't think I was good enough to protect her? "Maybe you haven't heard of me."

She gaped in disbelief, like I had just told her the world was flat. But then she clenched her teeth and her fists. "SOLDIER, AVALANCHE, revolutionary, troublemaker. Whatever the hell you think you are these days." She turned to Redgrave. "I don't need a bodyguard. I can take care of myself."

Redgrave shook her head. "I'm sorry, but this isn't negotiable and it's out of my hands."

Tifa turned her head in my direction again. Her eyes turned a fiery red. I just met her two minutes ago and she was making me feel like I was the source of all her problems. What did I ever do to her?

I quickly scanned my head for the possibility that I might have dated her and never called. No way. I would have remembered her. That nag in the back of my head whispered something. Could it be possible I might have known her during those gaps in my memories? When did I know her? Why was I blocking out the memory? It couldn't be that bad. Could it?

"The second reason I've called you here, Miss Lockhart," Redgrave continued, "…is to discuss yesterday's disruption in Mr Eastman's Biology class."

Tifa rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Perhaps you can explain to me how six hundred crickets escaped from their breeding tank?"

"Like I told Mr Eastman, I was just trying to feed Elmo. One of the crickets jumped out of my hand and landed in Trisha's hair. She's the one who knocked the lid off the tank with her flailing arms."

Redgrave snorted indignantly. "I know better than to believe anything you say, as past incidents have proven. You're confined to your room with no supper tonight."

Confined to her room with no food? It seemed to me like a pretty harsh punishment for turning loose a bunch of crickets. Unless they were as big as a Shadow Creeper.

"You may go now," Redgrave said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

Tifa turned and headed for the door. She didn't give me a second glance as she yanked it open and stormed out.

"As for you, Mr Strife…"

I decided I had enough of Redgrave and her rules and regulations. Besides my job just started. I rushed out after Tifa.

She was halfway down the hall, moving fast on those long legs.

I caught up and fell in beside her. "Where're you going?"

"Don't even talk to me, Cloud!"

"Hey, don't jump down my throat cuz you got in trouble."

"Oh please. I've been punished worse."

"And you call me a troublemaker?"

"I don't _kill_ people."

"You're just upset because your brother Rufus hired me to be your bodyguard."

"No, I just realized what a jerk you really are." She opened a door and walked through the threshold.

I followed and stopped in my tracks. Twentysomething sets of female eyes fell on me, including those of an overweight man. I backed out and closed the door behind me.

Who was she calling a jerk?

* * *

Please review. Thanks. 


	3. Light Sleeper

Author's Note – If I use names to refer to Cloud's swords, please know that I got the names from a reputable forum, but there's never been any confirmation from Square-Enix themselves. I just like the names so that's why I'm using them. The main sword is called Apocalypse, although First Tsurugi is a name known to be used a lot. The impact blade that fits at the bottom of Apocalypse is called Organics. The two back blades with the serrated edges are called Butterfly Edge. The two side blades with the folding handles are called Rune. When all the pieces are together, some have called it First Tsurugi or sometimes Ultimate Weapon. I'm going with First Tsurugi. And that concludes our lesson in Weapon Shop 101.

Also, many thanks for the reviews. I'm glad everyone likes this fic so far.

* * *

**Chapter 3 – Light Sleeper**

It was bad enough I'd have to be her shadow for an indefinite about of time, but I almost forgot I'd be sharing a room with her. If I hadn't been so adamant and forceful with Warden Redgrave about putting me in Tifa's room in the first place, I would have had the crazy witch put me somewhere else. But I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of thinking I didn't know what the hell I was doing. I was going to kill Rufus for not telling me his kid sister wasn't a kid anymore. I could deal with sleeping in the same room with a kid, but not a grown woman. I had been stubborn and impatient with my demands and I probably should have waited to meet the girl before negotiating the right accommodations. It was too late now. Besides, how could I protect her if she wasn't always in my sights?

I had to leave things the way they were. Why? Because I was a sucker, with a capital S. I prayed to whatever God would listen, that Rufus Shinra's investigators, hitmen, whatever, would quickly find the guy threatening him so I could get the hell out and go back to Edge where I belonged. And be tortured by a woman who didn't share my feelings.

I didn't need to make nice or be Tifa's bestfriend. This was just another job which happened to pay enough gils for me to live an above average lifestyle for the rest of my life. I could get my own place with a big garage for Fenrir. I could have more weapons made, buy 'mastered' materia from the guy I could never afford to buy from. Or I'd bribe Aeris and give it all to her if she dumped Reno. Yeah…that's what I'd do.

I stayed out of Lockhart's way for the rest of the day. Mainly because I wanted nothing to distract me from trying to figure out how she knew me. I mean, there was the occasional news story about me on TV…because I had a habit of saving people from attacking monsters. I just happened to be at the right place at the right time. And there the stories in the newspapers. But Tifa made it seem like she knew me on a personal level. Hopefully whatever I did to her wasn't something that could land me in prison, even though I knew it wasn't in my nature to force myself on any girl. But the gaps in my memory worried me sometimes.

Later that night, I sat by myself in the dining hall and literally shoveled the food into my mouth. I didn't even know what the hell I was eating, I just wanted to get out of there, away from the eyes. I figured these girls didn't get the chance to see the opposite sex too often…except for the male teachers. I could understand the knowing looks I was getting from the older girls, but the glances I got from the younger ones…like Marlene's age…like I was some movie or musical icon, they were freaking me out. I felt like a piece of meat hanging in a den full of wolves.

So I left there in a big hurry. As I made my way down the hallway in the east wing, I continued to receive the stares. It got to a point where I seriously wanted to pretend I was an unpredictable psycho so they'd scatter when I came around. I'd have to come up with a plan later.

After turning a corner, I glanced at the numbers on the doors I passed and stopped in front of the one with a 314 on it. No sound came from the other side, which made me wonder if maybe Lockhart had gone to sleep. At 7:30? I knocked.

"It's open," came the response.

I turned the knob and poked my head in first. "Can I come in?"

"Do you see me stopping you?" She was sitting cross-legged on one of the twin beds, hugging a teddy bear.

I came in the rest of the way and closed the door. "Think fast." I tossed a green apple in her direction, having taken it from a basket in the dining hall. She had to be hungry.

She caught it and gave me a suspicious look. "Thanks." But she didn't bite into it and put it on a nightstand between the beds. Her suspicious look didn't go away. "Are you responsible for Sara moving out?"

Oh, right. I forgot about the roommate. "Had to be done."

"Why?"

"I told you before. The less people know your connection with Shinra, the better."

"Sara knows me better than my own brother."

"Well, I don't trust anybody in this place, especially Warden Redgrave."

"Hm. At least we agree on one thing. We both dislike her."

I suddenly realized I had been wandering around the room, checking things out and opening drawers. It was sort of an automatic thing sometimes, a residual from my days in AVALANCHE when we were chasing after Sephiroth and snooping around places, looking for clues to his whereabouts. The drawer I just opened was full of lacy things and I quickly slammed it shut.

"What're you looking for?" she asked in annoyance.

Busted. So what excuse did I have to look through her drawers without making myself sound like a pervert? "Just checking for listening devices." Yeah, I was a real genius. It wasn't like Tifa was under surveillance by the bad guys.

"In my underwear drawer?"

"That'd be the first place I'd put one." It was the only response I could think of on such short notice. I never said I was a rocket scientist.

"I'm not surprised," she replied.

I turned toward her, now that my face wasn't as red as it felt ten seconds ago. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, just something I saw in the paper about you the other day."

"What paper?" I could have been smart and dropped the subject before it even got started, but I had a thing for torturing myself.

"I read you had quite a party with six hookers at a Strip Club. So tell me, Cloud, how many skirts are you planning to chase around here?"

I stared at her with a frown. Why did everyone in the world think I was some kind of player? "I don't have to explain myself to you. But, just for the record, I made a delivery to that place. There was no party."

"You might fool some people with that story. I'm not that stupid."

"Who needs hookers? I have a girlfriend."

Her eyes narrowed even more. "A girlfriend!"

What was wrong with this girl? Lots of guys had girlfriends. Why was she trying to make me feel like I was the biggest asshole in the world for having one? Even though Aeris really wasn't my girlfriend.

"I'm sure your _girlfriend_ must have been thrilled to see the story in the paper."

"Aeris trusts me."

She laughed coldly as she looked away. "Then she's dumber than you."

"You think I can't be trusted?"

"That's right. I happen to know first hand how you don't keep your promises."

Now I was really pissed because she was making accusations without me even knowing what I was being accused of. "What the fuck is your problem with me?"

Her face changed and the fiery eyes came back. "You stupid jerk! If you can't figure it out, then why should I tell you?"

It had to be bad, otherwise she wouldn't act like she hated the very sight of me. "You wanna play it this way? Fine by me." I walked to the nightstand and took back my apple. Just to spite her I took a bite out of it. "Just so you know, I'm not taking a bullet for you." I plopped myself down on the other bed.

"Now what're you doing?" she asked in surprise.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Get out!"

"No."

"Fine, then I'll have to call security."

"Go ahead. See if I care."

Her jaw nearly hit the bed. "You aren't…you can't stay in my…" Then she frowned. "Redgrave didn't throw a fit about this?"

"Oh, she threw a fit, alright. But I let her see things my way."

"And what's your way?"

"How am I supposed to watch over you from another room?"

"Well, how can I have any privacy if you're around all the time?"

"Hey, I like my privacy, too. We'll just have to take turns in the bathroom."

She made a disgusted sound. "I can't believe Rufus hired you. I thought he was smarter than that."

"He knows what I'm capable of, which is something you don't know anything about."

"You think you're such a bad-ass. Ha! After everything you've _supposedly_ done, you're not very hero-looking to me at all."

This chick was brutal. She literally rendered me speechless. If she had been a guy, my fist would have connected with her face an hour ago and she would have landed in Icicle Village up the mountain. I didn't need this kind of abuse. If I wanted to be ridiculed, I'd spend a day with Reno. Hell, he was better company than Rufus's whacked out half-sister.

I decided to just ignore her because I didn't know what to say to her anymore, much less how to handle her harsh attitude. Not that I couldn't take it. I had broad shoulders. I just wasn't sure I could trust myself to not cut off my own hand and slap her with it.

* * *

Pacing inside the room wasn't burning off any of my energy, nor was it helping my bladder. Lockhart got me so worked up, I needed a tranquilizer to calm me down. Except I forgot to grab some before I left home this morning. And I had no liquor to drown myself in, so now I was stuck. 

She had been in the bathroom for over an hour and my back teeth were floating so bad, I was ready to piss out the window.

I walked to the bed and reclined on it. The ceiling had several cracks in…and I found myself counting them. "This sucks."

My cellphone rang.

I grabbed it off the nightstand and saw Aeris's name on the display. Normally when she called I let it go to voicemail because there were times I just didn't feel like listening to all the domestic crap she thought I liked hearing. I quickly flipped it open. "Hello?"

"Oh…Cloud." She sounded surprised. "I didn't expect you to pick up. I was just going to leave you a message like I always do."

I closed my eyes and savored the sound of her voice. "Is everything okay back home?"

"Yes, everything's fine. I was just calling to see how things were going with you."

"Fine. The people around here are nice. This place is great. They've got books, too."

"Books?"

"Yeah, you know, cuz it's a school." I was stammering like a fucking idiot.

"I know that, Cloud."

"Oah, who am I kidding? This place is the pits. The principle is a lunatic. And everyone's always staring. I can't scratch my nose without them looking at me like I was some animal in a zoo."

"I feel so bad."

"You could come and keep me company."

"Cloud, you know I can't. I have the bar to take care of. And what about Marlene and Denzel? Who's going to feed them and help them with their homework?"

I sighed heavily and stared up at the ceiling again. "Yeah, I guess." I heard a lot of her excuses before, but this time they were legitimate. She couldn't just pick up and leave.

"I'm sorry, Cloud. I just can't understand why Shinra had to send you instead of his own people. If he can't even trust them, how can he trust you?"

"I don't know."

"Well, anyway, how's his little sister? Hopefully she's not too much of a spoiled brat."

"No, she's not spoiled, she's just a brat."

"Most thirteen year olds are."

I pondered whether I should tell Aeris that Tifa was actually nearly six years older than that. Better to be honest now than regret it later. "Actually, she's older than that."

"You mean like fourteen or fifteen?"

"She's eighteen."

"But the picture…"

"Yeah, I know and I have a few choice words for Rufus for making me think she was just a kid. Funny thing is, I think I know her from somewhere, but I just can't remember."

"The gaps in your memory again?"

"And for some reason she really seems to hate me."

"She probably doesn't like the idea of someone watching over her all the time."

I decided it was probably not a good idea to tell Aeris I was sharing a room with Tifa on top of it all. "Yeah, maybe that's it."

"Hang on, Cloud. Reno wants to say hi."

"No, Aeris, don't put him on the…" I whined.

"Yo, bro, staying out of trouble at that _all_-_girl_ school?" He snickered.

"Yeah, cuz I'm not a jerk off like you."

"Ouch, that's cold. Speaking of cold, I heard you haven't gotten laid in a really long time."

"I'm hanging up now. Tell Aeris I said good-bye." I shut my phone and growled. It irked me that Aeris would tell Reno something so personal about me. But then again, I didn't remember ever telling her I hadn't been with anyone in awhile. Where was Reno getting his information, if not Aeris? Couldn't be Barrett or Cid because they couldn't stand Reno anymore than I could. The only one I ever confided in was Vincent and I couldn't imagine my sex life coming up in a conversation between him and Reno.

I flipped my phone open and punched in Rufus's number.

He answered after the third ring. "Hello, Cloud. Is Redgrave still giving you a hard time?"

"Yeah, but that's not why I'm calling. I have a bone to pick with you."

"Is there a problem?"

"You said your sister was like thirteen and that's not the case at all."

"I never said she was thirteen. I just gave you a picture."

"Well, you could have told me she didn't look like that anymore. I'm expecting some buck-toothed brat to walk in the door and instead she's…she's…" I stopped myself because I remembered this was his sister I was talking about. It's not like I could have said, 'she's really hot and she's legal'.

"I apologize for not setting the proper expectations and misleading you, Cloud."

"I don't like being tricked, Shinra."

"I have no tricks up my sleeve. Honestly, I feared you wouldn't accept the job if you knew she was an adult."

Oh, I so wanted to reach my hand through the phone and poke him in the eyes. "I can still refuse."

"Very well. I'll send Reno with the chopper in the morning, if you wish."

"Forget it. I'll drive myself back."

"Can you at least do me the favor of waiting until I can send someone else to watch over Tifa?"

I sighed and punched the mattress. Why was I such a sucker? "No, I'll still do it."

"Thank you, Cloud. You don't know how much I appreciate what you're doing for me."

"You'd better let me know the second your would-be assassin is dealt with."

"I promise, you will be the first one I call."

Somehow I doubted it. "And I want my money wired by the end of this week." I shut my phone without saying good-bye. He didn't deserve it.

The bathroom door finally opened and Lockhart stepped out, wearing a small pink tank top and incredibly short shorts.

I would have taken the time to really appreciate all the skin if I didn't have to take a leak so bad. Instead I grabbed my duffle bag and went into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.

While I was taking care of business, my eyes wandered around the small space. The flowered wallpaper, the white toothbrush in a cup, the makeup on a shelf. I glanced at the top of the toilet tank and found some feminine products. Lucky for me I was used to stuff like this, living with Aeris. In addition to the rubber duckies and submarine toys Marlene and Denzel played with in the tub.

I flushed the toilet and proceeded to change out of my clothes and into my pajamas. As I brushed my teeth, I emptied a few things out of my duffle. I had to shove Tifa's makeup over on the shelf to make room for my hair gel and shaving stuff.

Just because I was nosey, I opened the mirrored cabinet door to see what was inside. Perfume bottles, pill bottles, more makeup. I picked up one of the prescription pill bottles with Tifa's name on the label and read further. _Take two every four hours as needed for migraine headache. _I put the bottle back and noticed several packets on the last shelf. After picking one up I realized it was a condom. I quickly tossed it back and closed the mirrored door.

A smile crept up on my face as I continued to brush. What were the condoms for, Tifa? Looking for a little action? I decided it could be good blackmail material, if she really got out of line with me.

After rinsing my toothbrush, I looked for a spot to put it. Since there wasn't one, I tossed it in the cup with hers. That probably wouldn't earn me any points, but I didn't care.

I came out of the bathroom after awhile and tossed my duffle down next to my bed. If I wanted to be a real asshole I could demand she emptied a drawer for my stuff, but I decided I'd just live out of the duffle. I didn't have that much anyway. Hopefully they had laundry service around here and not just a bunch of washers and dryers. I didn't have a clue how to wash clothes. Aeris did all that for me back home.

Lockhart was curled up under her covers, probably pretending to be asleep.

I slid under my own covers and turned off the lamp on the nightstand. "Don't think about sneaking out or try to smother me with a pillow, cuz I'll hear you. I'm a very light sleeper."

No response.

* * *

Something was shaking me. Was it an earthquake? 

"Wake up, Cloud."

No, it couldn't be morning already. "Leave me alone," I mumbled, hoping whoever was trying to get me up would just go away and let me sleep.

The hand persisted to rattle my shoulder. "Wake up, you idiot!"

I pulled the pillow over my head, but it was immediately yanked out of my hand. Before I had a chance to protest, the pillow came at me and clocked me in the face. When it came again, I blocked the blow and sat up, coming face to face with a set of fiery eyes. "What the fuck!" I yelled before I realized I wasn't at home like I thought I was. Damn, I thought it had all been a dream. I couldn't be so lucky.

Tifa straightened up and put her hands on her hips. "Light sleeper, my foot. I've been trying to wake you up for the last fifteen minutes. I could have been attacked by a screaming banshee and you wouldn't have heard it." She walked away from my bed with a disgusted snort.

I reached under the covers to make a major adjustment to my morning wood before I tossed the covers aside and got out of bed. When she grabbed her books, I realized she was already dressed. "Don't go anywhere. Wait for me." After grabbing a clean teeshirt and jeans, I went into the bathroom. But then I heard a sound in the other room. When I opened the door, Tifa was gone. "Dammit!"

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_I'll try and update every 2-3 days, only because I have most of this story already done. Keep the reviews coming, please._


	4. Boring Classrooms

Author's Note – Thanks for all the reviews! I love hearing what everyone has to say. I made a promise to post a new chapter every two days, so unless I get run over by a bus, you'll expect to see some new chapters coming up. Like I mentioned before, there will be some good times and some bad ones…and some crazy and embarrassing moments for poor Cloud. Heehee.

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Chapter 4 – Boring Classrooms**

"Historically, the first method of manipulating very small quantities is by infinitesimals. They can be treated like numbers, but infinitely smaller. On a number line, these would be locations which are not zero, but which have zero distance from zero. Who can tell me why non-zero numbers cannot be an infinitesimal?"

I wanted to raise my hand and say 'because you're the most boring teacher in all of Gaia'! But I remained quiet in the back row, sitting directly behind Lockhart.

"Yes, Katie?"

"Its distance from zero is positive."

"Correct."

I rolled my eyes and exaggerated a sigh. If I had to sit through one more boring class that made absolutely no sense to me, I'd have to commit suicide. Maybe I could sit out in the hallway and practice some moves while I waited for Tifa to go from one class to another. It seemed pointless anyway because she pretended I wasn't even there as she stood with her friends between classes and talked about things I had no business listening to. Most of the day's discussion centered on me, which was no surprise. This was only the second day and my name had already been associated with chocobo…Were they making fun of my hair?

Tifa glanced over her shoulder at me. "Will you shut up?" she whispered. "I can't hear Miss Dennis over your stupid sound effects."

I leaned forward, taking the deskchair with me. "This is bullshit," I whispered back. "I don't remember anything about infinite decimals in calculus."

"Infinitesimals," she sarcastically corrected.

"Whatever." I motioned toward the notepad on her desk panel, where she had been doodling chocobos. "I really see you concentrating there, Lockhart."

"Shut up!"

"Is there a problem back there, Miss Lockhart?"

As I pulled my desk back, Tifa immediately faced forward. "No problem with me, ma'am."

"Mr Strife," said the teacher in a very condescending voice. "If you disrupt my class once again, I'll have to ask you to leave."

I didn't have to be told twice. I got up and mumbled to myself as I headed for the door. "No problem. I'm outta here anyway. Hope you and your infinite decimals are happy together." I heard a few laughs as I walked out and closed the door behind me. Stupid teacher. Just the sound of her monotone voice grated on my last nerve. How the hell did anybody stay awake in there?

A quick glance at my watch told me there was only five more minutes left before the bell sounded the end of class. I went in my pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. It was a copy of Tifa's class schedule, which I had to bribe Hutchins for. Tifa's next class was Advanced Biology in room 587 with Mr Eastman.

I refolded the paper and stuck it back in my pocket. When I looked up I noticed a pretty redhead walking in my direction...which immediately made me think of Aeris and how much I already missed her. This girl's plaid uniform skirt seemed a little shorter than everyone else's and her blouse was unbuttoned a few more buttons, revealing a really nice cleavage in a lacy black bra. Cough.

She smiled as she walked up. "Hi. You must be Tifa's friend."

I cleared my throat and tried to maintain eye contact, even though my eyes wanted to wander down to what she obviously wanted me to look at. "We're…we're not...I'm just here to…to…uh…" Why the hell was I stammering? "Actually, you don't need to know why I'm here."

She made a show of checking me out and placed a hand on my shoulder. "My name's Priscilla. But you can call me Priss." Her fingers trailed down the front of my shirt. "I would really love to see you handle your…sword?"

I frowned at her disturbing statement. Yeah, I was disturbed because I had a feeling she didn't mean the sword strapped to my back. This wasn't the first time I was propositioned so directly, but I had to refuse…only because I didn't want Warden Redgrave to give me a lecture on how I was supposed to be keeping my hands off the students.

The bell rang and the usual pandemonium followed as students emptied into the hall to rush to their next class.

Tifa came out of her classroom and glanced in my direction. Then with a frown, she turned and walked the opposite way.

"Excuse me," I told Priscilla and abruptly pushed passed her. As I made my way through the mass of girls, hoping to reach the stairs before Tifa disappeared from my sight, I felt a pinch on my ass. I whirled around but it could have been anybody…or maybe it was my imagination after nearly being molested by that redhead…what was her name again?

I went up the stairs, taking them three at a time and caught up to Tifa who only quickened her steps when she saw me.

"I thought you had a girlfriend," she said without turning to me. "Aeris, right?"

Girlfriend? Oh yeah. I forgot I told Tifa that Aeris was my girlfriend.

"I don't think she'd like it if she knew you were flirting with the biggest flirt in the school."

"Who? That girl downstairs?"

"Fair warning, two male teachers were fired because of Priscilla."

"Just cuz I was talking to her, you immediately assume I was flirting?"

"She wouldn't be interested in you if it was for anything other than to…you know."

I pretended I didn't know what she meant. "No, I don't know."

"Yes, you do. Don't make me spell it out."

I felt another pinch on my butt and this time when I turned around I saw a blonde girl wink at me as she kept walking. Damn…whatever happened to the conservative girls who played hard to get? If I was a real asshole, I'd take advantage of every opportunity. But I wasn't here to see how many times I could get laid. A mental image of a long line of girls extending from my room came to mind. They'd deplete me of all my bodily fluids. What a great way to go.

I followed Tifa into the classroom at the end of the hallway. While she took a seat at one of the eight tables, I headed for the side with the windows and sat cross-legged up on the shelf. Each table had four chairs for four students and the room began to quickly fill. I continued to glance around, noticing a tank full of crickets. This was what Tifa had gotten in trouble for the day before. Next to it was another tank, this one containing a large lizard with a red crest. Nice pet. Then I remembered this was a Biology class. If I heard a single peep about dissecting that lizard, I'd have to rescue it.

My eyes shifted to the teacher, who I noticed was eyeballing me. According to Hutchins, the staff at the academy were all made aware of my presence and were told to just ignore me as long as I didn't interfere with the class activities. But this Mr Eastman, I didn't like the way he was looking at me…like he was undressing me with eyes. If he didn't stop looking at me like that I'd singe the hair off his head with a Fire materia. See how he liked feeling that.

"Good afternoon, ladies," Eastman said, reluctantly looking away from me.

I fought against a cold, disgusted chill that shot up my spine. The guy actually left me feeling violated and dirty, like I needed to take a shower.

"We're going to continue our discussion of the male reproductive organs."

'Are you kidding me?' I thought to myself.

"By some divine intervention, we have a live model today." And he turned in my direction.

My eyes widened as the rest of the classroom turned to me too.

"Surely you don't mind, do you, Mr Strife?"

I hopped off the window shelf and unsheathed my Apocalypse. As I held it defensively in front of me with both hands, I glared at Eastman. "You touch me and I'll gut you like a fish."

* * *

"You cannot go around threatening the lives of my staff!" Redgrave yelled as she slapped her fist on her palm.

"That creep wanted me to strip in front of his class!" I defended.

It was obvious she didn't believe me. "Mr Eastman is a well-respected teacher at this academy and not once in his thirty year employment has there ever been an issue with any of the girls."

"That's because he likes boys!" I shook my head at her. "You can't tell he's a fucking queer?"

"I will not tolerate that kind of language, Mr Strife."

I rolled my eyes. What was wrong with everybody in this school? Was I the only normal one around here?

"I kindly ask that you apologize to Mr Eastman for your behavior."

"What?" She had the nerve to ask me to apologize to that douche bag? "No fucking way."

"Mr Strife! I told you not to use that language in my presence. I will not tell you again!"

That was about as much as I was going to take from her and her patronizing, stuck-up puss. I leaned over her desk and pointed a finger at her pointy nose…with the big wart on the side of it… "I don't like this situation any better than you. But I've got a job to do and I told you to keep everyone out of my way. That includes Mr Twinkle Toes. If he so much as tries to kiss me or ask me out on a date, I'll shove my sword so far up his ass, he can floss his teeth with it. Trust me, I'll do it. I've got nothing to lose." I turned and started to walk away. Then I remembered I had more to say to her, so I turned back around. "And I'll say whatever the fuck I want. I don't give a fucking rat shit ass who the fuck you are."

Redgrave stared at me with her mouth open, her face pale and clammy looking. After a good thirty seconds, she fell into her chair like she just ran a marathon. "I'll…I'll notify Mr Eastman to…to leave you alone."

"And tell him not to talk to me."

"He won't speak to you."

I walked to the door. "In fact I don't want that cocksucker even looking at me."

"Oh dear Gods, help me."

Once I was out of her office, I couldn't stop myself. I was laughing so hard I was bent over, holding my ribs. Too bad Zack wasn't around to see me fluster that old battleaxe. He would have been so proud.

What a sad thing to know the only thing keeping me entertained around here was irritating the shit out of people.

* * *

The dining hall was full, just like the night before. As I grabbed food and tossed it on my tray…ham and cheese sandwich, chips, some kind of jello…I had a chance to really survey the room. Everyone was segregated into age groups. In a corner table was where the teachers and staff sat. After the incident with Eastman, I wanted nothing to do with that group.

I found where Lockhart was sitting and headed in that general direction. When our eyes met, she quickly looked away. Just to save myself some unnecessary aggravation, I sat down at the next table, among the safety of seven and eight year olds. They were laughing at each other, placing carrot sticks under their noses and pretending to have mustaches. Real cute.

As I took a bite out of my sandwich, I looked up and found Tifa's group staring at me. Everyone except Tifa. I wanted to call Aeris on my cellphone and talk dirty to her, just so they'd think I was in a committed relationship. But that might provoke them further. I needed to implement my original plan of psycho Cloud. I'd wait until the little ones were sent to bed, then I'd sit around and sharpen my swords. Maybe pick my teeth with them.

"Is that your real hair?"

I shifted in my seat to look at a cute little blonde with blue ribbons in her hair. She stared at me through lenses so thick, it made her eyes look extra small. "Yeah, it's my real hair." I ignored the snickers coming from Tifa's table.

"Why does it stick out all over like that?" asked another little girl.

"A side effect from Mako injections."

"What's Mako?"

I sighed and wanted to kick myself for even bringing it up. Now I'd have to answer a gazillion questions because every answer I'd give would only prompt more curiosity. "It's the planet's energy."

"Eww, you got a shot with that in it?"

"Is that like the planet's poop?" That got the little girls giggling even harder.

More snickers came from Tifa's table and I noticed she was the instigator, whispering comments to her friends and making them laugh louder.

"No, it's not poop," I replied irritably, but despite it all, I gave them a brief lecture about Mako and SOLDIER. I even went into graphic detail about a recent battle I had with Sephiroth. It was more for the ladies in Tifa's table than the rugrats at my table who were staring at me with terrified looks on their little faces, hanging on my every word. "Then one of the brothers shot me through the back…BANG!"

The little girls all jumped and squealed.

"That was followed by a big explosion…" I made my best imitation of an explosion. They looked impressed. "But I didn't die because I have a guardian angel. He protects me."

"Really? What's his name?" one kid excitedly asked me.

"Zack. He talks to me sometimes, too."

"Mumble... mumble… invisible friend… mumble… mumble… jerks off… mumble… mumble…happy ending…" That's what I heard Tifa whisper to her friends.

I frowned in her direction and she gave me a brief look before turning away with a victory smile. Fine, I let her have one for now…but not for long. I glanced at my young audience. "No more questions. Eat your food."

They quickly did as I ordered…like my own little army of midgets.

I looked down at the blue jello on my tray and glanced toward the tray closest to me. The little girl, whom I learned was named Jessica, looked up at me through her thick glasses.

"Trade ya," I said, motioning toward her red jello.

She thought about it for a minute before taking her jello and exchanging it with mine.

"Thanks."

Tifa had seen the transaction and had a small smile on her face, which instantly vanished the second she saw me noticing. She went back to her friends to continue their conversation about an upcoming school thing…a dance of some kind. "I can't wait to see Robbie." She said the name loud, obviously to get my attention.

"I thought he was seeing some girl named Candace who lives in Mideel," said the girl named Jaden.

"He'll forget she exists when I show up in that dress I saw at the boutique. I just need to get my brother to send me the money to buy it. He'll do it if I sweet talk him."

Rufus Shinra couldn't be sweet talked into anything. He had a heart as cold as Ice materia. "Bullshit!" I blurted with a fake sneeze.

Twelve little girls immediately blessed me for sneezing while Tifa gave me a frigid glare.

To further amuse the little ones, I raised the jello cup to my mouth and slurped it all up in one shot. I saw it in a movie once. That earned me a bunch of giggles, even Tifa's friends laughed. But she didn't find it funny at all.

That's it. Trying to be nice and entertaining at the same time was too exhausting. I got up from the table. "Well, sleep tight, little rugrats. See you all at breakfast."

"Bye, Cloud."

"Bye, bye."

"See you."

I walked away and heard footsteps behind me. It was Lockhart. "Well, this is different. You're chasing me for a change."

"Give me your phone," she ordered.

"Where's yours?"

"Back in my room."

"I'm not giving you my phone."

She gave me a challenging look, like she'd kick my ass if I didn't comply. "Give it to me."

"Why?"

"I'm calling Rufus, since you don't believe he has a soft spot for me."

I snorted. "Yeah, he's got a soft spot and it's between his ears."

She stopped and held out her hand.

I walked a couple more steps and stopped. After retrieving my phone from my pocket, I walked back to her. Why was I such a sucker?

Tifa snatched the phone out of my hand and quickly punched in some numbers. After a second, a smile came to her face. "No, it's not Cloud, Rufus. It's Tifa."

I folded my arms and waited as patiently as I could manage, listening to her going on about this and that before she got to the real purpose of her call. So there was a family resemblance after all, they both rambled on and on about nothing.

"There's this dress I saw at the boutique in Icicle Village. I'd really love to get it for the school dance this Saturday. Problem is, I don't have the money for it." Her brows drew together as she listened to Rufus. "I know, but…" She turned away and heatedly mumbled something I couldn't hear. Then she turned around and handed the phone back to me. She didn't look happy at all.

Victory was mine. I put the phone to my ear. "You still there?"

"I send her money once a month. I'd like to know what she does with it."

"Your guess is as good as mine." When I looked up at Tifa, I suddenly didn't like seeing the disappointment on her face. "But I'm sure it wouldn't kill you."

"So you think I should open my wallet everytime she wants something?"

"I'm not saying that at all. Just do the right thing, Rufus."

"All right. I'll set up an account for her at the Icicle Village boutique. But only to buy that one dress."

I shut my phone and the snide remark I wanted to make about that soft spot she referred to early decided to fall back down my throat. "Yeah, it's all set."

Her frown deepened. "What's all set?"

"Go pick up the dress whenever you want." I waited to hear a thank you and got nothing. Crickets chirped in the silence. Not even a smile of gratitude. "Yeah, you're welcome," I spat out with my own frown before walking to the door and leaning against the wall to wait for her. Too bad I didn't smoke, because I really felt like lighting one up just so I could have the satisfaction of blowing smoke in her face when she walked by.

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Please review! 


	5. Restricted Access

Author's Note – Thanks for the motivating reviews everyone! Here's the next chapter.

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Chapter 5 – Restricted Access**

Tifa and I weren't in her room for more than a minute before there was a knock on the door. I pulled it open, needlessly grabbing Apocalypse on the way. Two of Tifa's friends practically trampled me to the ground as they barged in.

"Hey!" I yelled. But they completely ignored me and jumped on the beds, making themselves comfortable. I looked at Tifa. "What the hell's this?"

"What does it look like? Or is it against your rules for me to have my friends over?"

I looked at the time on my cellphone display. It was too early to say it was 'time for bed'. I had nothing, so I decided to let her friends stay, even though I knew I had no say in the matter. They'd out vote me three to one.

What if I wanted to walk around in my boxers and scratch my butt? I could be disgusting and let out a loud belch every five minutes and really make them sick. Maybe they'd go away. I had a feeling none of them would really care what I did.

Tifa turned on the TV and put on a video that one of the other girls brought with her.

It was some kind of spy flick which I might have gotten into if I didn't have to hear their constant 'oohs' and 'aahs' about how cute and hunky the actor was. So I spent the time doing pushups and stomach crunches on the floor…not that I needed it, I just had nothing better to do. But I caught Tifa looking in my direction a number of times and wondered if she wondered if I was doing it to impress her and her friends. So I stopped.

I grabbed my duffle and went in the bathroom to change into my pajamas. If I was back home, I wouldn't be doing this while we had company. But I didn't care about Tifa's friends. If they wanted to ogle me in my sleepwear, then let them.

A few minutes later I came out of the bathroom and dropped my duffle in its usual spot. When I walked to my bed, Sara didn't look like she was going to move. I snapped my fingers to get her attention and motioned with my thumb for her to get off.

Sara gave me a sour look as she slid off and joined Tifa and Jaden on the other bed. "That used to be my bed, you know."

"Well, it ain't anymore." I reclined with my back against the headboard and decided to watch the movie.

Normally I liked watching a good action flick. The more special effects, the better. But this one had way too much sappy shit going on. Everytime the actor kissed the leading lady, Tifa, Sara and Jaden had their eyes glued to the screen. I could have walked passed them in the buff and they wouldn't have noticed. So I'd let out a disgusted snort each time and rolled my eyes. Tifa stopped giving me dirty looks after the fifth time.

When the movie was over a couple of extremely long hours later, Sara and Jaden didn't show any signs of leaving. Tifa and the two of them started talking about things that happened in their classes and I was getting bored with their conversation.

I reached into my duffle and pulled out my mp3 player. After sticking the plugs into my ears and hitting Play, I grabbed my phone and started playing one of the games on it.

What the hell did these girls do to keep themselves entertained around here when there were no classes? There was no exercise room in the building, no video game room, no pool to swim in. Just a three story library with a bazillion books. I needed to find some way to burn off some energy and entertain myself in this place or I'd lose my mind.

About six songs later, I shifted my eyes toward the three girls sitting on the bed next to me. Their clothes were still on. No playful pillow fight. No making out. Yeah, like that would ever happen. Boring! I went back to my game with a smirk.

When I thought I heard my name, I reached down to lower the volume on my mp3. Were they talking about me? I didn't look up at them, but I could distinguish their voices and knew who was saying what.

Sara: "I think he's cute."

Tifa: "Yeah, but that doesn't make up for anything."

Jaden: "Tifa, you said you treated him like shit when you were kids in Nibelheim. No wonder he never came back."

Tifa: "He promised he would."

Jaden: "Maybe he had more important things to do."

Tifa: "Yeah, like kill all the people in Sector Seven when the plate crashed down on them in Midgar."

Sara: "You really think he was responsible for that?"

Tifa: "AVALANCHE was there. He did it."

Jaden: "I heard it was Shinra's fault. Not the new President, but the old one."

Sara: "I like his hair."

Jaden: "His eyes are a little creepy, though. Don't you think, Tifa? Like they can see right through you."

Sara: "And isn't he a little too small to be fighting monsters?"

Jaden: "Yeah, but he must be pretty strong to be lifting those huge swords all the time."

Tifa: "He's nothing special."

Despite the fact they didn't even consider that I might be able to hear them, at least I learned something new. Apparently Tifa and I knew each other when we were kids in Nibelheim and she treated me like shit. When I was fifteen, I left Nibelheim to go to Midgar and join SOLDIER. The only recollection I had of my childhood was being picked on a lot and always getting into fights with the neighborhood boys. So I had no real friends. I didn't remember any girl…at least not someone named Tifa.

There were a lot of gaps in my memories of when I returned to Nibelheim that one time with Zack and Sephiroth. I couldn't even remember how I later came to find my home town in flames or how I got to the reactor to kill Sephiroth. Not knowing used to bother me a lot. But lately it was worse. I found myself thinking really hard about things and all I'd get for my troubles was a major headache.

I snapped my cellphone shut, just to make some noise. Tifa, Sara and Jaden immediately stopped talking as I pulled the plugs out of my ears and glared at them with my _creepy_ eyes. "Don't any of you have homework to do?"

"Nope," all three of them said at the same time.

I tried to appear intimidated but it didn't work. Shit…I wouldn't be able to get rid of Sara and Jaden without using sheer force. Maybe it was better if I didn't hear what they had to say about me. I put the plugs back in my ears and found a loud song to lose myself in.

_What if I wanted to break  
__Laugh it all off in your face  
__What would you do_

"Hey, I love this song," one of them yelled.

I turned the volume up because I could still hear them yapping. Then I noticed they were singing along. And to top it off they were acting out the lines.

_What if I wanted to fight  
__Beg for the rest of my life  
__What would you do_

This was annoying as all hell. I couldn't even enjoy a good song without them ruining it for me.

_Look in my eyes  
__You're killing me, killing me  
__All I wanted was you_

I just stared at them singing off key and laughing at each other. If I wasn't so annoyed by their childishness, I would have been laughing with them. Man, I needed to lighten up and get the pole out of my ass.

One thing I did notice was that I actually liked Tifa's laugh. There was something comforting about it. So if we knew each other when we were kids, why was she so mad at me now? Did I try to kiss her once and she slapped me? Did I stick her in a garbage can on the way to school? Did I trip her so she'd fall in a puddle of mud? What the hell did I do?

_Come break me down  
__Break me down  
__Break me down  
__What if I wanted to break_

When the song was over they were laughing hysterically.

"Hey, Cloud. What else do you have?"

Since I wasn't going to be able to listen to my music in peace, I took off the plugs and tossed my mp3 player to Jaden. "Don't break it," I warned.

For the next few minutes I watched them scroll through my player and excitedly listen to whatever songs they fancied. They fought over the plugs and laughed like they were twelve.

I was becoming such a wimp. If I didn't find some bad guys to kill soon, these girls would have me in hair ribbons by the weekend.

* * *

The next day while Tifa was in her classes, I decided to do alittle of that investigating I committed myself to doing. 

The library had a section with some computers. I sat down in front of the one that looked the most advanced. The unit still looked several years old, which got me wondering where all of Shinra's contribution money went if not to buy new equipment. Did it get allocated in some specific way or did Redgrave and her cronies pocket it? I'd have to ask Rufus about it sometime.

But for now my priority was to find out what I could about Tifa Lockhart since Rufus seemed pretty tight-lipped about his half-sister. Come to think of it, I didn't really ask him any questions. And there was a valid reason. He'd talk until the next day and I couldn't guarantee I'd listen to everything and probably miss all the important stuff.

I accessed Shinra's secure site with the Shinra Corp logo and had to smile to myself. A lot of people thought I was dumber than dirt when it came to technology and all I could do was swing a sword. I let them think it because I was the last person they'd blame for accessing restricted information. The only problem now was that I wasn't using an untraceable terminal, which meant I'd probably get a call from Rufus in the next few minutes.

So I needed to work fast.

The technology people at Shinra Corp were such dumb asses. They were so confident no one could bypass their security that they never changed their passcodes. Interesting enough, Professor Hojo's access was never revoked, even though the lunatic who experimented on me was dead. I had gotten his codes awhile back and they still worked.

I searched Tifa's name and a list of hundreds of files appeared. Way too many to scan through in a few minutes. "Shit…this could take a month." And I didn't have a disk or flash drive to dump the data into. There had to be an easier way to get information on Tifa.

Redgrave had files…

I quickly disconnected from Shinra Corp and left the library. A few minutes later I was walking outside around the side of the building in the freezing rain. Bad time for an ice storm.

Redgrave's office was on the first floor, so after counting windows, I found the one that belonged to her. A quick glance inside revealed the room to be empty. I pulled myself up and crouched on the ledge. Using my trusty pocketknife, I dislodged the window lock and lifted the window. Security was definitely not very tight around this place. Any moron could get inside.

I crawled through the window and hopped to the floor. After lowering the window and glancing around, I didn't see any file cabinets. So where did the warden keep her files? I rolled her high-backed chair out and sat in it.

My cellphone rang and I dug it out of my pocket, looking at the display. It was Shinra. Like clockwork. "Strife," I answered.

"I thought you were a lot smarter than that, Cloud."

"Oh, so you _do_ think I'm smart."

"Why are you accessing restricted files?"

"Don't know what you're talking about, Rufus." There were three drawers on either side of the heavy wooden desk. I tried the ones on the right first. The top drawer had some makeup that wouldn't help no matter how much Redgrave put on her face. I almost took one of the candy bars, but thought better because I didn't know where they came from or how long they'd been sitting in the drawer.

"I was told the signal came from the Icicle Village Academy."

"So why would you think it was me?" The middle drawer had a small silver flask full of something strong and a huge ring with a million keys that probably went to every door in the building. If I didn't think Redgrave would miss them, I would have taken the keys.

"Because Professor Hojo is dead and no one at the academy could possibly know his pass codes."

"Well, since you think I did it, then you won't mind if I browse through some files on Tifa." The bottom drawer had a pair of stinky running shoes and a pack of adult diapers. I slammed it shut as fast as I could.

"There isn't anything in Tifa's files you don't already know."

"I don't know anything about her, Rufus, except that you and her have the same mother. Either you give me more or I'll find out some other way." In the top drawer on the left were a set of handcuffs…I didn't even want to know why…and closed the drawer.

"What exactly are you looking to find out?"

I asked the first thing that popped into my mind, just to see how he'd respond. "What's her favorite color?" The middle drawer contained different papers, mostly inventory lists of food and other supplies.

"I don't really think you care about that, Cloud."

"You're right, I don't. But I do wanna know where and when she was born." The bottom drawer was stacked with newspapers from the last few days.

"That's very funny."

"I'm not trying to be funny."

"You really don't know?"

"I wouldn't be asking if I did."

"When I first showed you the picture of Tifa and you didn't recognize her, I thought you were purposely trying to make me think you didn't know her."

"I don't know her." After flipping through some of the newspapers, I found the one that contained the story of me at the Strip Club and I wasn't surprised to see my picture circled in red marker. I also noticed a sentence highlighted in yellow. 'It's a known fact that Strife has been running a delivery service. I'm sure the service delivered to the Northshore Gentleman's Club must have certainly left the girls overjoyed'. Now I understood why Redgrave was pretty upset about me wanting to share a room with Tifa. The reporter who wrote the story made me sound like a sex maniac.

"You grew up together in Nibelheim, Cloud."

"So I keep hearing. Unfortunately your trusty Professor Hojo did a real number on me and now I can't remember things." I closed the drawer and sifted through some things on top of the desk. Aha…my file! I pulled it out from among some others that weren't labeled.

"Professor Hojo was my father's man, not mine."

"Too late to argue about it now. It's done."

"Alright, Cloud. I was eight years old when my father divorced my mother. She moved to Nibelheim and almost immediately married a local there. Tifa was born a year later, on May third."

I made a mental note to remember she'd be nineteen in a couple weeks.

"When our mother died, Tifa's father contacted mine and they worked out a deal to put Tifa through school at the Icicle Village academy. I've only seen her three or four times, but I've talked to her a lot."

"Why is she so pissed at me, like I did something bad to her?"

"I don't know, Cloud. You tell me."

Just then I heard footsteps approaching the door.

"Gotta go!" I shut my phone and only had enough time to shove the file back and duck down before the door swung open. Shit! I quickly crawled under the desk, thankful that I was small enough to fit...even though I was folded like a pretzel. The chair moved and a pair of skinny legs appeared. It was Redgrave. I recognized the butt-ugly shoes. When she sat down, I got an eyeful of something horrible and nearly puked out the pizza I had for lunch. I covered my eyes with both hands and just sat there under the desk, desperately trying to control my gagging.

She picked up the phone and punched the numbers hard, like they were sticky. "Hello, Principle Carter, it's Principle Redgrave…Yes, yes, I'm fine. And you?"

There was no way out from under the desk. I was trapped. I didn't want to raise my head because I didn't want to see something that would give me nightmares for the rest of my life.

"Everything is all set for this Saturday…Yes…I believe we have enough chaperones to control any wandering young adults. We can't have any of what happened last year…Yes, indeed."

What was that smell? Ugh! It was her feet and something else I had no desire to identify.

"Excellent, excellent. I can't say I'm looking forward to this year's entertainment. But alas, they're quite popular in Junon so I'm sure the kids will love them."

Get off the fucking phone already! I need air!

"Alright then. We'll expect the buses to arrive at seven on Saturday night. Good day." She hung up.

I couldn't hold my breath any longer and quietly readjusted my position under the desk to face the other direction, away from Redgrave's lower half. I groaned inside when I heard her pick up the phone again.

"Hutchins, why hasn't Amanda taken these files to the file room? You know I don't like things lying around on my desk where anyone can take them…Well, then do something yourself for a change. Come get these files and put them in the file room now!" She slammed the phone down and got up from her chair.

I waited until her footsteps went around the desk. The door opened and then closed again. I released the breath I had been holding for way too long. "What the fuck…doesn't she bathe?" I crawled out from under the desk and rose to my knees.

My folder was still in the pile. I grabbed it and was about to stick it down my shirt. Then I remembered Hutchins would be coming for the folders to take them to the file room. That's right, she mentioned something about a file room. I'd definitely have to check that out. I took all the papers out of my folder and shoved them down my shirt. Then I grabbed a handful of blank papers, stuck them in my folder and put it back under the others.

Footsteps again. I crawled back under the desk as the door opened.

"Do this, do that. Stupid bitch. One of these days I'll tell her to kiss my ass."

It was Hutchins. He walked up to the desk.

I heard some things being shuffled and then he turned and walked back out. I came out from under the desk and waited a few seconds to make sure no one else planned on coming in. Especially not Redgrave again. I pushed the window open and vaulted through it. Before running off, I remembered to close the window again. The last thing I needed was for Redgrave to find it open and suspect something.

_

* * *

If anyone can guess the song Cloud was listening to, I'll give you a cookie. _


	6. More Than A Memory

Author's Note – More silliness ahead. I just love torturing poor Spiky. Oh and the cookie goes to PoutingCutie who came up with "The Kill" by 30 Seconds to Mars...before everyone else.

**

* * *

Chapter 6 – More Than a Memory**

Much to my annoyance, Sara and Jaden were back in Tifa's room later that night. So much for the peace and quiet I wanted so I could go through the papers I pulled out of the folder Redgrave had on me.

I sat cross-legged on my bed and went through each piece of paper. Most of them were computer printed articles like the ones in the newspapers, about AVALANCHE's involvement in some incidents. Again, it was all from the perspective of different reporters. All the stories were wrong. They made us look like terrorists trying to sabotage the power generators.

There were no stories mentioning that the power generators were sucking the life out of the planet, which resulted in the surrounding wastelands. No stories mentioning the increased monster population, that they were being manufactured in the reactors and that's why the cities were on constant Red Alert.

One of the pages had a current profile on me.

First Name: Cloud  
Middle Initial: None  
Last Name: Strife  
Age: 21  
Birthdate: August 19  
Birthplace: Nibelheim  
Height: 5 feet 7 inches  
Weight: 165 pounds

Aha! Wrong. I was 164 pounds. I stopped eating fries for breakfast.

Hair Color: Blonde  
Eye Color: Blue (Mako enhanced)  
Marital Status: Single  
Status of Father: Deceased  
Status of Mother: Deceased  
Brothers: None  
Sisters: None  
Traditional School Years Completed: 10  
Professional School Years Completed: 1 year SOLDIER Academy

Correction…I had been at the SOLDIER academy for one year and two months. If they were going to keep a file on me then the least they could do was get the information right. Dumb asses.

Current Occupation: Self-Employed Delivery Service  
Previous Occupations: Shinra Guard, Bartender

Bartender?? When was that? Did Aeris make me work behind the bar and I forgot about it? Come to think of it, didn't I spend a couple months grooming chocobos at the Gold Saucer after Meteor was destroyed? They didn't have that in the file.

Vehicle Operating License(s): Automobile, Motorcycle  
Traffic Violations: None  
History of Arrests: None  
History of Substance Abuse: None

Wrong again. I was abusing the bottle quite a bit lately. But that wouldn't be on any report because I never went to the hospital for alcohol poisoning or anything…although there were a couple times Aeris almost called an ambulance because I got out of control and it took Barrett to keep me from going out and crashing my bike.

Medical History: Nibelheim Medical Clinic – broken left hand (Feb 10), two broken ribs (Jul 23); Midgar Emergency Center – skull fracture (Jan 18)  
Blood Type: AB+

"Why the hell would they need to know my blood type?" I mumbled outloud.

"Did you say something, Cloud?" asked Tifa.

I looked up from the papers and found Tifa and her two friends looking at me. I shook my head with a frown. "No."

She gave me a funny look. "Bad day today?"

I quickly blocked out the traumatic memory of being under Redgrave's desk. "You have no idea." I gathered the papers into a pile and shoved them under my mattress. Since they were still looking at me, I thought I could get some information out of Tifa. "So how long do you have to stay in this school?"

"Students usually graduate when they turn twenty, or for as long as the parents can afford to keep paying."

"This place is run like a prison. Do they ever let you out on good behavior?"

Sara laughed. "It's not like we can't leave if we wanted to."

"But they never let us go out alone," added Jaden. "Because there's always something lurking around in the forest."

"Well, whatta you do for fun around here?" I asked. "This place is a drag."

"Not used to the quiet life anymore, huh, Cloud?" said Tifa. "I'm sure the big city has all kinds of things to do when you're bored."

"I've got my delivery service to keep me busy."

"What do you deliver?"

"Whatever people need."

"Hey, I read something in the paper the other day," said Jaden.

I jumped in before she could say anymore. "Yes, I was at that Strip Club and no, I didn't have a party with six hookers! Why does everyone ask me about that and not about how I saved the planet a few months ago?"

Jaden blinked in surprise. "Actually… I saw an article about automobile prices going up and I was going to ask if you knew of a place where I can get a cheap car.."

Well, now I felt like a complete idiot for barking at her like that. "Oh. Sorry, I don't."

"Where'd you buy that motorcycle?" asked Sara.

"You can't buy something like that. I built it myself."

Tifa looked like she didn't believe me. "Doesn't that take special skills?"

"Who says I don't have them?"

She shrugged and turned the conversation elsewhere.

For the rest of the night, I tolerated their discussions about clothes and guys and school and guys and hairstyles and guys. Mostly about guys.

What irked me more than anything was that they treated me like I wasn't even there. I was just a piece of furniture. They had no qualms whatsoever about what they discussed in front of me. I mean…too much information didn't describe the things I heard. I knew how many guys Sara slept with before she turned seventeen. I knew Jaden was drunk when some guy felt her up at a party…when she was only fourteen! I even knew things about girls Tifa wasn't friends with. Like Priscilla, the _School Tramp_, as she was dubbed, and how she coaxed two different male teacher into compromising situations only to be discovered soon after, resulting in the teachers getting fired. She made it look like they forced her.

The worst was knowing about Tifa's _bad experience_ at the gynecologist's during her first visit when she was sixteen. I didn't know if she was exaggerating the story to make it sound worse than it really was, or if it really had been that bad. Who was I to judge? I had no idea what kind of examination a girl got at a gynecologist's.

It was a traumatizing couple of hours listening to them talk. My ears were actually bleeding by the end of the night!

* * *

Friday soon came and I had heard that after today, there would be no classes for a week. I had been playing bodyguard for four days now and so far there hadn't been any threats on Tifa's life. Not that I wanted anything to happen to her, but I was really hoping something would come up so I'd have something to break up the monotony around this place. There were only so many people I could tick off to keep me amused, unless I started razzing the first graders. 

The third graders had been a lot of fun. I made them think I was a walking zombie that ate human brains if I didn't get enough meat to eat. They all scattered and came back five minutes later with two trays piled with burgers. I never realized third graders could be so impressionable.

While Tifa was in her classes Friday afternoon, I decided to do something totally immoral; snoop around in her room. Maybe I'd learn a few things about her, instead of trying to break into the file room in the middle of the night. But if I didn't find anything useful, then the file room was my next resort.

Since I had already seen everything in the bathroom, I stuck to the bedroom.

I started with the closet. She had a lot of clothes, which made me wonder why she needed all this stuff. It wasn't like the girls in the academy made it a habit to leave the premises and hang out at some local bar in Icicle Village. From what I learned, forms needed to be filled out in triplicate and twelve signatures were required, just to get permission to leave the place.

As I browsed through her outfits…just in case there was something in a pocket…I came across a black leather vest with a zippered front. Clipped together and hanging with the vest was a pair of black leather gloves. Cool. I wondered when she planned to wear that vest because I definitely wanted to be around to see it on her.

When I got bored with the clothes, I crouched down and eyed the five pairs of shoes stacked neatly on the floor of the closet. Mostly athletic shoes. In the corner were a pair of heavy black boots with long laces. I picked up one of the boots and inspected it. It was pretty new with just a couple of scuff marks on the toe. Some sick instinct made me raise the boot to my nose. It smelled like leather and not stinky feet like Redgrave's shoes. I put the boot back and got up.

On the shelf above the bar with the hangers were neat stacks of sweaters or teeshirts. At the left corner was a shoebox. I grabbed it and walked away from the closet to sit at the bed.

After I removed the lid from the shoebox, I rummaged through what looked like a bunch of junk. A couple of beaded bracelets, an old ring with a jade stone, a white sachet that smelled nice, a matching comb and mirror that looked pretty old, a glittery ornament, some pens with different company names, some keys and a dog's chew toy shaped like a bone.

I was about to put the lid back over the box when something made me stop and reach for the chew toy. The second I touched it, an image of a very young, teary-eyed Tifa filled my head.

"_Shadow got sick. We had to put him to sleep."_

"_I'm really sorry, Tifa. He liked playing with this. You might want to keep it."_

"_Thanks for staying with me, Cloud."_

"_I don't like seeing you cry."_

The sudden recollection of the memory left me with a strange feeling in my stomach. I squeezed the toy in my fist, wishing I could remember more. But at least now I knew that Tifa and I really did know each other when we were young. She had a black dog named Shadow and I remembered playing with him in the backyard while Tifa did her homework.

I got up and put the shoebox back on the shelf. It suddenly became important for me to find out more, not just because I wanted to know why Tifa was so angry with me, but because I needed to remember more about the kind of relationship we had. Were we close friends?

With nothing else to look at in the closet, I closed the door and moved to the dresser.

I felt like an idiot. If she found out I was going through her stuff, she'd probably never speak to me again. I was about to give it up, but I found myself opening her underwear drawer. Everything was neatly folded, not like my own drawer back home. When I saw the days of the week stitched into some of her panties, I cracked a smile. "Real cute, Tifa. You need to look at your underwear to remind you what day it is?"

The other drawers were full of other clothes. I didn't really make a big effort to look too thoroughly. But I did notice the smell of her clothes reminded me of her, which sparked another memory.

"_Come on, Cloud, it'll be fun."_

"_I'm not putting that on, Tifa."_

"_You would look so cute in my blue dress."_

The image faded, leaving me to wonder if I actually agreed to put on her dress. Hopefully I didn't give in to her so easily.

I walked away from the dresser and sat on her bed so I could see what was in the drawer of her nightstand. It was a bunch of papers. Without taking them out, I skimmed through them. Mostly book reports, a couple of tests…all A's. Way to go, Tifa.

At the bottom of the pile was a picture frame. I pulled it out of the drawer and turned it over to see the picture. Surprise, surprise. It was of me and Tifa. She might have been thirteen, looking the same as in the picture Rufus had given me, except she had braces and her hair looked neater in this picture. I looked around fifteen. My hair was longer then and I had it in a ponytail. Judging from the way she was holding on to my arm and I was leaning closer to her for the picture, it almost looked like we might have been pretty close. I didn't remember posing for the picture, but obviously the evidence was staring me in the face, so I guess I did.

But she told her friends she treated me like shit when we were kids. So what was with the picture that made it seem like we were friends? I stuck it back under the papers and closed the drawer.

As I sat on the edge of Tifa's bed, thinking about her, I bent forward and absently ran my hands between the mattress and box spring. My fingers came across more papers. I got off the bed and knelt on the floor to pull the papers out from under the mattress.

Several pages of sheet music.

Another image suddenly came to me and I closed my eyes, hoping to see it clearer.

_A six year old Tifa was sitting at a piano in what looked like a girl's bedroom. Probably hers. She was playing the piano carefully, trying not to mess up the song. I was sitting on the edge of her bed, my feet barely touching the floor. _

_Three boys suddenly stormed into the room, making Tifa jump off the piano seat._

"_So this is where the runt's been hiding. Did you invite him, Tifa?"_

_I quickly turned to Tifa to see what she would say._

_She nervously looked in my direction and shrugged indifferently. "I didn't invite him. He just came up here and wouldn't leave."_

_I couldn't believe she lied to them when she had been the one to ask me to come and sit with her while she practiced her piano lessons._

_Her expression changed. "Who invited you, Cloud? Get out of my room!"_

"_You heard her, runt, get out!" yelled one of the boys._

_I hopped off the bed and clenched my fists as I faced the three neighborhood bullies that were constantly giving me grief. "Make me!"_

I reached up to touch my forehead, remembering the pain there from the beating I had gotten that day and the broken knuckles from defending myself. I also remembered feeling betrayed that Tifa didn't want the neighborhood boys to think she was my friend. Whenever they were around, she acted just like they did and made me feel stupid and insignificant.

It really ticked off. What right did Tifa have to be mad at me now when she never stuck up for me back then? If anything I should be the one mad at her. She made me believe we were friends…but it was only when it suited her.

The memories came crashing through my head. I had such a crush on her back in Nibelheim and everything I did was for her…to impress her. I even joined SOLDIER because I wanted to become strong and important like General Sephiroth. All of it was for her so she wouldn't have to be ashamed to like me.

I raised the mattress and put the music sheets back. Then something else caught my eye.

An envelope. I picked it up and read the return address on the back. It had Tifa's name with a Nibelheim address. After turning the envelope over, I saw it was addressed to me, care of the Shinra SOLDIER Academy in Midgar. But someone wrote 'Return To Sender: Candidate Deceased' in big block letters across the front of the envelope. Since it was torn open, I decided to pull the letter out. But I hesitated to unfold it, wondering if I was better off not reading it. No, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing it existed and not knowing what she had written to me.

I unfolded the letter and saw it was dated one year after I joined the SOLDIER academy. Not too long before I was sent on assignment to Nibelheim with Zack and Sephiroth. I started reading it:

Dear Cloud,  
I haven't heard from you in awhile so I thought I'd write and see how you are doing. Everything must be fine at the SOLDIER Academy because you're still there. Tien and Lance came back yesterday because they didn't make it through the first year. Are you learning a lot? You said you wanted to do better than you did in school here. You'll think this is weird, but Papa wants to enroll me in a private school in Icicle Village. He said I'll get a better education there. But it won't be for another year or more because it costs a lot of money to go there and Papa said he needed to talk to Mama's ex-husband about it first. Cloud, there was so much I wanted to tell you before you left, but I didn't want it to ruin your plans to join SOLDIER. Except now I feel so alone. I liked having someone here to talk to, even though I did most of the talking. You're my bestfriend. You've always been there for me when I needed someone. I just wish I could take back all the times I treated you badly because of Cory, Rich and Martin. I never really liked those boys anyway. They were so mean to everyone. The truth is, I really like you a lot, Cloud. More than a lot. I know it's stupid to tell you in a letter. I just hope you still feel the same way about me. Don't forget you promised to save me if I ever got in a jam. My own personal hero.  
Love, Tifa

I lowered the letter and stared up at the ceiling, remembering everything now. She talked a lot back then and I just sat and listened most of the time, thinking I was so lucky to even be with her. But I hated whenever the others were around because she was different with me then, pretending she didn't want me there. I hated it but I tolerated it because I liked her so much.

Everything changed when Sephiroth burned Nibelheim down to the ground. I remembered it all. Yes, Tifa was there and I hid my identity from her because I didn't want her to know I was just a Shinra guard and didn't make it as a SOLDIER. I was too weak and barely survived the mandatory Mako injections. So they dismissed me from the service and gave me a position in the Shinra military. I would have just left if Zack hadn't talked me into staying. When I returned to Nibelheim with Zack and Sephiroth, Tifa asked about me, but I pretended to be someone else. She was really disappointed because she thought I'd be among them. It hurt to see her so upset.

Would it be wise to tell her the truth now? That I was at Nibelheim and after Sephiroth nearly killed her and Zack, I was the one that defeated him in the end. The truth would have to come out sooner or later. I just needed to find the right time to tell her.

At least now I understood why she hated me. I acted like I didn't even know her, thanks to Professor Hojo's experiments that robbed me of a lot of memories. When I saw her for the first time in Redgrave's office, I looked at her like it was for the first time…like she was a piece of meat I wanted to take a bite out of…not a childhood friend I hadn't seen in a long time. If I had known what I knew now, I would have crushed her in a hug and told her how much I missed her.

I refolded the letter and slipped it back in the envelope and under her mattress. Then I got up and walked to the window.

All the feelings I once had for Tifa were suddenly hitting me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't remember if I actually ever felt this way about anyone else. What about Aeris? Wasn't I in love with her? It couldn't be love. If it was, then I would have made it permanent. I couldn't ask Aeris to marry me because I knew now that I didn't love her.

And what about Tifa? How come I completely blocked her out of my life as if she never existed to me? As soon as I asked myself that question, I knew the answer. I was so afraid she would despise me, cut me lose completely…because I was a disgrace. I didn't become the great SOLDIER I said I would be. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to kick my own ass for being such an idiot. Despite all the crap she put me through back in Nibelheim, she had still been the only friend I had. The only one that ever supported my decisions.

Good Gods, she must have thought I was dead when that letter came back to her with that writing on the front of the envelope. I could only imagine what she thought when I suddenly appeared in the newspapers not too long ago? Did she think I purposely avoided her? Was this the reason she was so mad at me?

The door suddenly opened.

I didn't turn away from the window because I was afraid that if I looked at her, I'd blurt out something prematurely, like 'I'm sorry for forgetting you existed' or 'I just read your letter and I love you'.

"Cloud?"

"Yeah."

She came up next to me. "I need a big favor."

What my head was telling me to do was to just walk away, lock myself in the bathroom and call Rufus to tell him I was done here. But my mouth decided on something else. "Like what?" I asked, still not looking at her.

She opened her hand in front of my face, revealing a small wad of money. "Can you pick me up some liquor in the village?"

I turned and frowned at her. "You plan on drinking tonight?"

"Me and some friends."

From this moment on I knew I'd never be able to say no to her again. I had never been able to say no to her. I took the money and pointed a finger at her nose. "Don't go anywhere while I'm gone."

"I promise I'll stay in the room."

* * *

I went to Icicle Village, bought some liquor and snuck the bottles into the room. But I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I agreed to supply the booze for Tifa's little pajama party that night. 

Besides Tifa, Sara and Jaden, there were six other girls, eighteen or nineteen year olds, sitting in a circle on the floor, wearing not enough clothes in my opinion…but I wasn't going to complain. They were sharing one bottle of grain alcohol I bought, which was going to totally fuck them up. I just hoped they didn't puke all over the room.

I was reclining in my usual place…my bed…minding my own business and drinking from my own bottle, which I wasn't planning to share with anyone else because I wanted to drown away my newly discovered sorrows and rediscovered feelings for Tifa. I had also stashed a couple other bottles under the bed, for future consumption.

What started out as an innocent game of Truth or Dare, turned into something I wanted to forget as soon as possible.

Just like the night before, I was learning a lot more than what I needed to know about these girls and I was beginning to think they were making it up just for my benefit…like I really cared. I killed monsters for a living, what did I care about how many times someone did it in the back seat of a car…as long as I didn't hear Tifa talking about it.

"Tifa, truth or dare?" asked a girl named Nicole.

"Dare," replied Tifa.

"I dare you to demonstrate…on this bottle…how to give a blowjob."

The room was suddenly filled with screams and laughs.

I pretended to be interested in the News on TV. But I admitted I was curious and briefly shifted my eyes toward the circle where Tifa started running her tongue over the lip of the bottle. When she stuck it in her mouth, I blinked and quickly looked away. Holy mother of Shiva…where had she learned to do that? I felt some movement in my pajamas and had to bend a leg to cover the evidence. Even when the hooting and hollering started up again, I forced myself to keep looking at the TV or suffer the consequences. Don't do it, Strife, I'm warning you, don't look.

Damn, if this was the theme for the night, I was in big trouble. I'd have to disappear in the bathroom for…a little relief. Couldn't they play a safe game, like Checkers or something?

"My turn," said Tifa. "Cloud."

My head jerked up at the sound of my name. "What?"

"Truth or dare."

It took me a good minute to realize what was going on. I shook my head. "No way. I'm not getting sucked into this." That was probably a poor choice of words on my part, after what Tifa just did to the bottle. The other girls were laughing hysterically.

"I promise I'll be kind," assured Tifa.

"Yeah, right, like I'd trust you."

"You're no fun at all." Tifa turned to Jaden. "Truth or dare."

Jaden rubbed her chin. "Truth."

"Did you ever catch your parents having sex?"

I rolled my eyes and looked away with a shake of my head. If anything, the alcohol was making them more obnoxious and immature.

A few turns later one of the girls asked Tifa again. "Truth or dare."

"I don't trust your questions anymore, Sheri, so I'll take the dare."

"I dare you to moon Cloud."

That did it. I slid off the bed. "I'm outta here." I took three steps before turning back around because I forgot my bottle and my phone. Then I headed for the door. "Call me when you're done playing your stupid game."

I walked out and closed the door behind me. I could still hear them laughing, even from the Study room down the hall where I planted my ass on the couch and drank. Luckily it was pretty late and no one was roaming the halls to even know I was in there.

The next thing I knew, I woke myself with a snort and looked around. I looked at the time on my phone display. It was 3:00 in the morning. I was pretty drunk and losing hope that Tifa would ever call and tell me her friends had left. I got up and stumbled my way back to the room. There weren't any sounds coming from the other side of the door and I sighed in relief.

When I walked into the room though, what I found wasn't exactly what I had hoped for. No one had left and they were laying around everywhere. I stepped over the bodies on the floor and walked to my bed. Unfortunately it was occupied by a snoring Jaden and some other girl, while Tifa was sleeping comfortably in her own bed.

What I should have done was yell at the top of my lungs for them to get out of my fucking bed. Instead, I walked over more bodies and went into the bathroom. It was nice and quiet in there…no snoring. As I stepped into the bathtub with great difficulty, I raised the bottle to my mouth and found it empty. But I wasn't ready to let it go just yet, so I cradled it in my arm as I laid down in the cool porcelain bed. Ahh, it felt better than the softest bed in the world. And it was quiet…

Or so I thought…

Someone came stumbling in and nearly took the shower curtain down. The bottle slipped from the crook of my arm and made a loud ping.

That was followed by a gasp. "Cloud?" The voice belonged to Tifa.

"Wha…"

Tifa laughed with an unladylike snort. "What're you…what're you doing in there?" She sounded pretty crocked.

"I'm taking a bath, what does it look like?"

She stumbled and fell on her butt next to the tub. "It's my duty to inform you…there's no water in the tub."

"No shit."

My reflexes were a little slow due to the alcohol and I wasn't fast enough to stop her from turning the knob on the wall. Cold water came pouring out on my feet.

"Are you crazy?" I yelled and after great difficulty reached to turn the water off, but my pajamas were soaked. I fell back and didn't have the strength to get out of the tub.

Tifa was laughing.

"Shut up before you wake up the rest of your idiot clan."

She leaned her head against the edge of the tub. "My friends think you're sooo cool. They really like you."

"Yeah, I know." I sounded a little conceited, but I was drunk and she wouldn't remember anything anyway. "But you don't anymore."

"I said I was mad at you. I never said…" she hiccupped mid sentence. "…I didn't like you."

"Oh."

"And now," she said with a heavy sigh. "Now you have a girl…friend."

"I do?"

She turned her head to look at me. "Yes, her name is Aeris, remember? And she's so beautiful."

"Wait a second. You know her?"

"No, but I've seen her picture…in the papers."

"Oh yeah." A sudden feeling of guilt came over me. I had told Tifa that Aeris was my girlfriend, which was far from the truth. I needed to come clean. Damn, I hated when I felt compelled to tell the truth. "She's not really my girlfriend."

Tifa laughed again.

I frowned at her. "What's so funny?"

"I knew it." She kept on laughing. "I knew it...hiccup...all along."

If I hadn't been so tanked, I might have reacted differently when she suddenly crawled over the side of the tub and fell on top of me, laughing at her own clumsiness.

I didn't think there was anything funny about our current position. With her lying on top of me, I could have easily followed through with what I had in mind. Get her out of her skimpy sleepwear and make use of one of those condoms in the medicine cabinet. I was half naked anyway. Just my pajama bottoms.

But my reflexes were beyond help. Besides, I couldn't get it up if my life depended on it. What dumb luck on my part. I finally had Tifa Lockhart where I wanted her and I couldn't do anything about it.

"You're a lot bigger since you left Nibelheim," she said with a giggle.

I cracked a smile. "So are you."

"Cloud Strife, are you referring to my…hiccup…boobs?"

"Well, you were pretty flat-chested last time I saw you."

"I was only thirteen, you dumb shit."

I liked the way she was pressing herself against me. Too bad I couldn't feel a thing anymore from the neck down.

She picked up her head and looked at me. "You know what I've wanted to do since I saw you in Redgrave's office…even though I'm still really, really mad at you?"

"No, what?" Before I knew what was happening, she was kissing me. And it wasn't a friendly little peck, either. I was so out of it, I had no idea what the hell I was doing.

And I was pretty sure I wouldn't remember in the morning anyway.

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Please review! 


	7. Uninvited Guests

Author Notes – In the game and in the movie, Cloud does a lot of special acrobatics that don't seem gravitationally possible. In order to lend a bit more reality to my story, I'm going to limit his "flying" ability. Hope that's all right with everyone.

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Chapter 7 – Uninvited Guests**

"Oh, this is just too good to pass up," said a voice in my mind. "Get my phone, quick."

Several giggles invaded my head and then there was a bright flash, which made me jump and groan in pain. My head was exploding.

"Quick, take another one before they wake up."

Another flash. This time I cracked open my eyes and found myself in a pretty compromising situation. Tifa was sprawled on top of me and we were in the bathtub. Standing in the doorway was Jaden, with her phone aimed in our direction. Flash! She was taking pictures!

I struggled to get out of the tub, pushing Tifa off with not a whole lot of grace. When I finally managed to get up on my feet, I looked up at Jaden. "Give me that fucking phone."

She screeched and ran, dragging Sara with her.

I got one foot out, but the other one was still asleep and caught the edge of the tub. I went flying into the bathroom cabinet and cracked my forehead on the door handle when I tried to get up. "Shit!" My already pounding head was really pounding now.

When I staggered out of the bathroom, holding my head with both hands, Tifa's friends scattered like rabbits. They all filed out the door, robbing me of my chance to kick some asses. The room was suddenly quiet…a mess of blankets and pillows thrown all around.

Just because I didn't trust anybody, I went around the small room, kicking things around in case someone was still hiding out.

A sound in the bathroom made me cringe. Tifa was throwing up. Chalk it up to all the stupid things I did in my life…buying grain alcohol for a bunch of girls who were obviously not used to the stuff…bad choice on my part.

When I walked into the bathroom, I found Tifa kneeling on the floor, her face hovering above the toilet. I moved closer to help her because I felt responsible for her condition.

She roughly shoved me away. "Don't touch me!" She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and glared up at me. Her expression suddenly turned from angry to full-blown rage. "What's that all over your neck?"

I automatically turned to face the mirror. My eyes widened when I saw the scattered red marks on my skin. Holy shit! I had six hickeys scattered around the right side of my neck and three down the middle of my chest.

"You made out with one of my friends?" she furiously accused.

"What?" I turned back to her. "No!"

Tifa struggled to get up and when she was finally on her feet, she shoved me so hard, I almost fell into the bathroom sink. "I can't believe you'd do such a thing, Cloud!"

I chased after her. "I slept in the bathtub the whole time. I didn't go anywhere near your friends."

"Well then it must have happened when you disappeared for four hours. Who was it? Priscilla?"

"Who?"

"Don't pretend you don't know her, Cloud."

"You were the only one I was with, Tifa."

"Excuse me? We were never together."

"Yes, we were. In the tub."

"Stop making things up, Cloud."

I snapped my fingers when I remembered Jaden had taken a couple pictures of me in the bathtub with Tifa. I grabbed my phone. "What's Jaden's number?"

"Are you insane? I'm not giving you her number."

I walked to the nightstand and picked up Tifa's phone. She rushed over and tried to wrestle it out of my hands. I gave her a little push, forcing her to sit on the edge of her bed. If she wasn't so hung over, she might have put up a better fight.

She gave me an angry scowl and folded her arms across her chest.

I scrolled through the contact list on Tifa's phone and found Jaden's name. After hitting Send, I waited with the phone on my ear.

"Hi, Tifa," said Jaden when she picked up.

"This is Cloud."

"Uh oh."

"Yeah, uh oh. Send one of those pictures to this phone."

"Why?"

"Just do it." I hung up and tossed the phone to Tifa.

"I'm not going to believe anything you say, Cloud."

"Suit yourself."

Tifa's phone chirped a few seconds later. She continued to glare at me as she flipped it open. Then she looked down at it.

I watched her expression go from angry to surprise. "Yeah, see that? Where's my apology, Tifa?"

She got up and punched my arm. "It's still your fault."

"My fault? You kissed me first. I didn't force you and I sure didn't give these to myself," I said as I pointed to my neck.

"I didn't know what I was doing. I was drunk."

"Well, whatta you think I was?"

"Ha! I don't even like you, Cloud Strife. I've never liked you!"

I gave her a crooked smile and snorted. "Yeah, right." I knew better and if I wasn't so afraid of her knowing I had gone through her personal stuff, I would have pulled that letter out from under her mattress. She said it right there, she liked me _more_ than a lot.

She punched my arm again, harder this time. "Do you want to know the truth?"

"Yeah, that'd be swell." I wanted to hear her say she was nuts about me and then I'd tell her how I felt. "And stop punching me!" I rubbed my arm where she hit me.

"The truth is, you're a big fat jerk!"

"I'm not fat!"

"I can't believe you went through all that trouble just to make me think you were dead."

"What're you talking about?"

Tifa reached under her mattress and produced the envelope I already knew about. "This!"

I pretending I was seeing it for the first time. "Deceased?"

"You wrote it on the envelope and sent it back to me. Why couldn't you just be honest and tell me you didn't want to be friends with me anymore?"

"That's not even my handwriting." I reached for the envelope.

She pulled her hand away. "You didn't write that?"

"No. Let me see it."

Tifa shoved the envelope behind her back. "No."

"It's addressed to me so it's mine." If she wasn't so scantily dressed, I would have gotten physical with her, but I was afraid I'd get turned on. "Hand it over, Tifa."

"If you didn't write it, then who did? Why would they want me to think you were dead?"

Maybe now was a good time to tell her everything. "If I tell you, then promise me you won't get upset."

"For you to say that, then it means I probably _will_ get upset."

"Then I'm not telling you."

Just then a loud siren began to sound.

I heard Tifa gasp and turned to her. "What's going on?" I asked.

"Something's gotten through the security fence." She ran for the window.

I came up next to her and looked out. A group of Bandersnatches were advancing toward the building. I remembered them having a very nasty bite that could easily kill if you weren't paying attention to what you were doing.

"Oh no, not them." Tifa sounded worried and she lifted the window open, the biting cold coming inside. "The last time one of them got through, it killed one of the security men. Now there's six of them. It'll take too long for the Icicle Village patrol to get here."

The door swung open and Jaden and Sara rushed in. They shoved me out of the way so they could stand next to Tifa.

"There's no way Hutchins and the others can handle that many," yelled Sara over the blaring sirens.

While they were busy staring out the window, I grabbed my clothes and ran into the bathroom. When I came out a couple minutes later, I armed Apocalypse in my right hand and Organics in my left. "Get out of the way," I said as I walked toward the window.

As Tifa, Sara and Jaden parted, I slipped through the window and jumped from the third floor to the hard ground below. A quick glance to my left and I spotted Hutchins and his sidekicks running down the front steps. "Stay back!" I yelled at them. Before I turned to face forward again, I realized all the windows were filled with students watching the monsters approaching. Great…just what I needed, an audience.

When the first Bandersnatch launched itself toward me, I ducked and slashed upward, slicing its body in half. Hot gray blood sprayed my face and I quickly wiped it away as two more of the wolf-like creatures came at me from opposite directions.

As I held my swords up, the Bandersnatches slowed their pace and paused. I could barely hear their growls over the school's sirens. It was going to be hard to keep track of the other three if I couldn't hear them. My eyes darted back and forth between the two on either side of me. They were cunning creatures that learned fast. Seeing one of their own go down, they were already trying to figure me out.

The Bandersnatches attacked at the same time.

I turned for a second to impale Organics into the creature on my left and the other one raked deadly claws across my back. I barely had enough time to spin around and slice off its head with Apocalypse.

The three remaining Bandersnatches snarled, the green fur around their necks ruffled. They were really pissed now. I needed to be careful or this fight would be over in two seconds with me being the victim.

"Tifa, no!" someone yelled.

"Huh?" I took a couple steps back, my eyes still locked on the three creatures in front of me. Someone ran up and stopped to stand beside me. I chanced a quick glance.

It was Tifa and she was wearing that black leather vest I had seen hanging in her closet. Plus she was wearing the black leather gloves and the heavy boots. She looked amazing.

"What the hell're you doing out here, Tifa? Get back inside before you get hurt."

"And leave you out here to get killed before you tell me what you were going to say?"

"Now's not a really good time to talk." I gave her another quick glance and noticed her holding her fists up. Was she kidding? A Bandersnatch would chew off her arm before she could get a punch in.

I no sooner finished the thought when one of the three charged at her, running at a full gallop. When it jumped, Tifa took a step back and swung her fist. It connected with the Bandersnatch's snout. Then she raised her leg and swung her foot around, hitting the dazed creature in the ribs and sending it in my direction. I sliced off its limbs as it went flying passed me.

Before I had a chance to be impressed, the last two Bandersnatches attacked. I sheathed Organics and jumped up. When I came down with Apocalypse, I killed the Bandersnatch with my Braver blow, burying it's head into the ground.

Tifa didn't react fast enough and the last of the creatures bowled her over. It was going to bite her face. I dropped Apocalypse and raised my fists. It had been a while since I used any materia and all I had on me was Fire. Flames shot out of my knuckles and the impact knocked the Bandersnatch off of Tifa. Before it could get up again, I sent it another stream of fire. The Bandersnatch went up in flames and fell over dead.

The sirens abruptly stopped and it was eerily quiet all of a sudden, except for the crackling of the burning Bandersnatch.

I walked over to Tifa and pulled her up by the arm. "You okay?"

She nodded.

"You ever risk your life like that again, I'll kill you myself." I left her standing by herself as I walked back toward the building. Hutchins and company stared open-mouthed at me as I went up the stairs and passed them. In fact, everyone was looking at me with the same expression…like they couldn't believe what their eyes had witnessed.

The masses parted as I walked to the entrance. Either they were afraid of the weapons in my hands or it was the Bandersnatch blood all over me.

My eyes fell on Redgrave. She looked like she didn't know whether she wanted to yell at me for being stupid or kiss me for saving their asses. Either one would earn her a punch in the nose because I was in no mood for her shit.

As I made my way upstairs, it seemed like everyone had come out of their rooms in their pajamas to see what the commotion was all about. Among the kids lining the hallways, I spotted my little jello buddy, Jessica. I gave her a wink and she broke into a smile.

When I walked into Tifa's room, Sara and Jaden were still there. They both looked at me like they were afraid I might pounce on them. I motioned toward the door with my head. "Go check on Tifa."

The two girls rushed out and closed the door behind them.

I took a moment to rinse the Bandersnatch blood off my weapons in the shower and dried them carefully. After putting the swords with the others, I stripped out of my clothes and noticed the three diagonal slashes on the back of my sweater vest. Maybe someone here had sewing skills and be able to fix it. I tossed it in the growing pile of clothes next to the bed. When was Laundry Day around here?

I went in the shower to wash off the Bandersnatch blood. It was sticky in my hair and smelled horrible. I had to wash and rinse my hair three times to get it out. Everytime I turned my bare back to the spraying water, I wanted to punch the wall because it hurt so bad. Luckily the creatures weren't poisonous or I'd be in serious trouble right about now, not having any vials of Antidote on me.

After getting out of the shower, I wrapped a towel around my waist and turned to look at my back in the mirror. Three long, angry slashes ran diagonal across my back, just like my vest.

There was a light knock on the bathroom door. "Cloud?" It was Tifa. "Are you decent?"

I reached for the knob and pulled the door open.

She stood there looking at me with concern in her eyes. "I'm sorry, Cloud. I know it was stupid of me to run out there." Her eyes did a little dance around my bare torso.

"Damn right it was." I reached for my gel and winced when I raised my arms up to put it in my hair. My back was killing me. I gave Tifa a side glance. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"I've had official Turk training."

I frowned. "Since when?"

"Rufus sends someone here once a month. He's pretty good in a fight. You might know him. He's got long, dark hair in a ponytail."

"Tseng?"

"Yeah, that's him. He's a really nice guy."

I wanted to tell her that Tseng was responsible for ordering the Shinra army to go after me and Zack when we escaped the Shinra mansion in Nibelheim not too long ago. It was when Zack was shot to death by them. But I decided now wasn't a good time to bring that up. "There's a bottle of healing potion in my duffle bag. Can you get it for me?"

"Sure."

I turned back to the mirror and briefly smiled when I saw the hickeys again. Too bad I didn't remember how they got there. One thing was certain, Tifa gave them to me. She was the last thing I remembered before blacking out and the first thing I saw when I woke up this morning.

She returned after a minute and unscrewed the cap off the green bottle. "Can I help?"

"If you want." Actually I wouldn't have been able to apply the stuff myself.

"What do I do?"

"Just rub it right on the gashes." I watched her through the mirror as she concentrated on pouring some of the potion on her hand. When her fingers touched me, I clenched my teeth and closed my eyes.

"It's foaming up," she said, sounding startled.

"That means…it's working." The pain was taking my breath away.

She continued to rub the potion on my wounds. "Does it hurt?"

"Yeah, like hell." But it was worth the initial pain, knowing the potion would completely heal the gashes in a matter of hours. "Don't you have to get to Icicle Village to pick up your dress for the dance tonight?" I opened my eyes and saw her looking at me through the mirror.

She shrugged. "Hutchins is taking some of us in a school bus. I hate the way he drives."

"I can take you."

Tifa smiled and when she finished putting the potion on me, she backed away. "I'll go get dressed." She closed the door after walking out.

When her smile was directed at me, it did a number on my heart. I didn't know why I volunteered to take her to Icicle Village myself. Or maybe I did. Because nearly my whole life all I wanted to do was make Tifa happy.

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Happy holidays! And please review. Thanks. 


	8. Turned Inside Out

Author's Note – You people are just too good to me. I love reading your reviews. They make me so happy. Just a quick side note. The money used in FF7 is referred to as gil. I have no idea what the equivalent value is of a gil, but I tried sticking to the shop prices in the game. For instance, a Restore materia cost between 600 and 750 gil and some weapons were thousands of gil, depending on where on the World Map you were. Cloud is by no means rich, but I could see him splurging on things he has a need for. Besides, he's due to receive half a million gil from Shinra for protecting Tifa.

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Chapter 8 – Turned Inside Out**

While the armored bus drove through the security gate, I followed behind it on Fenrir.

Tifa was wrapped around me from behind. I didn't know if it was the cold that made her cling to me so tightly or maybe she liked holding me this way. The pressure of her chest against my injured back felt incredibly good. Damn, even in the cold my hormones were raging.

As we took the road leading up the mountain, snow kept spraying from the bus's tires. I ducked a couple times to avoid it. But Tifa wasn't fast enough the second time and she got a mouthful of snow.

I laughed as she sputtered and then I decided to just pass the bus and drive in front of it to avoid Tifa getting clobbered with snow again.

About fifteen minutes later I pulled into Icicle Village. It still looked the same. With the Inn, some small shops and Professor Gast's laboratory. While I was here, I planned to replenish my stash of materia. Maybe the shop owner carried some Lightning or Poison. Hell, I'd take a Comet if he had it. What I really wanted was a Master Magic, but I couldn't afford it. And even if I could, I was pretty sure nobody in Icicle Village had anything like that.

I parked Fenrir in front of the boutique and removed my goggles as I waited for Tifa to dismount. When she started to walk away, I grabbed her by the arm. "Hey, hold on. Don't go wandering off."

"I was just going in the dress shop. Besides, what could possibly happen here in the middle of town?"

I didn't release her arm as I scanned the area. There were a lot of people walking around. "Anyone of these people could have been sent to kidnap you." I dismounted and led her by the arm into the boutique.

A plump, rosy-cheeked woman let out a howl when we walked in. "Tifa!"

I watched her suspiciously as she came out from behind her counter to give Tifa a friendly hug.

"I knew you'd come back. I saved the dress for you, of course."

"Thanks, Stella."

The woman turned to me, a little glint in her eye. "And who's this nice-looking, young man?"

"This is Cloud," Tifa told her.

"Cloud, Cloud…the name sounds very familiar. It's not a common name."

I gave her a half smile. "Maybe you remember me from a few months ago when I was here with my team. We got rid of the Shinra guards that were trying to take over the village."

The woman gasped and then clapped her hands with a laugh. "Yes, yes, I do remember. How could I possibly forget that wild hair?"

My hand automatically went up to smooth some of the spikes down alittle and I saw Tifa roll her eyes with a smile.

"You were trying to get to the Northern Crater," Stella continued. "I hope you were able to complete whatever mission sent you to that forsaken place."

"Yeah, things went…just as planned." That was far from the truth, but I didn't think it was necessary to share any details of AVALANCHE's final battle with Sephiroth in the Northern Crater.

Stella took Tifa's hand. "Well, shall we go try on that dress?"

When I started to follow them into the back, Tifa held up a hand for me to stop. "I'll be fine here, Cloud."

"Okay. I'm gonna go check out the shop across the street."

"Take your time. Stella's going to do my hair, too."

I gave her a nod and watched her disappear through the curtain. A minute later I stepped back out into the cold air and walked across the street to the materia shop.

After picking out a Lightning and Barrier materia, I haggled for a rare Ifrit Summon. The shop owner said he'd sell it to me for half price if I bought a weapon. He showed me a harpoon, kind of like what Cid used and I shook my head because it wasn't my weapon of choice.

When he showed me the Dragon Claw, I whistled and slipped it over my hand. It was a heavy leather glove with six materia slots, four of them were combined. This would definitely pack a lethal punch. Sweet. "How much for this?"

"Ten thousand."

I looked up at him with a frown. "Eight thousand and ten for the Summon."

The shop owner sighed heavily. "It's highway robbery, but I like you, so you got a deal."

"Toss in three vials of Healing potion and three Antidotes." I handed him my credit card and after he scanned it, I stuck it back in my pocket along with the red Ifrit Summon materia. The rest of the stuff went into a bag. I decided to leave the Dragon Claw on my hand because I liked the weight of it.

"Come again," said the shopkeeper as I walked out of the shop 19,000 gil poorer.

The cold air hit my face again and I looked around the street. Hutchins was leaning against the front grill of the armored bus, smoking a cigarette.

After storing my purchases in the compartment of my bike, I walked over to talk to Hutchins. Maybe I could get some information on what this dance tonight was all about. "Hutchins?"

Hutchins greeted me with a nod and held out his pack of cigarettes to me.

I declined with a shake of my head. "Damn cold out here, isn't it?"

"It's not that bad," said Hutchins. "I was born here so I'm used to the cold."

"So you snowboard?"

He cracked a smile. "At my age?"

"Nothing wrong with your age. You were about to go out and fight six Bandersnatches this morning."

"I appreciate what you did, Strife. I don't think we would have been able to handle them by ourselves."

"I couldn't let them attack the school. You think Redgrave might cut me some slack now?"

"I doubt it."

"Yeah, what am I thinking?" I watched the people near the boutique. Some looked at the window display, others just walked by without looking. "So about this dance tonight. What's it all about?"

"It's just an annual get-together for the older students, sixteen and up. The boys from the academy across the forest are invited. It gives the kids a chance to socialize."

"Who supervises?"

"All of the teachers, from both schools, including myself. I'm sure you'll want to be present to look after Miss Lockhart."

"Well, yeah, but…do I have to wear a suit or anything? Cuz I didn't bring any fancy clothes with me."

"It is a formal event." He looked me over. "You're about the same size as Skutel. I'm sure he'll be happy to loan you something."

I hated formal events and I hated dressing up, especially in some stupid monkey suit that restricted my movements in case I had to fight. But I needed to be there to make sure nothing happened to Tifa. No big deal. I had suffered worse than having to wear a suit for three or four hours.

Some time later I walked back into the boutique because I thought it was taking an awfully long time to do hair and try on a dress. "Tifa?"

"Just a few more minutes, Cloud," she yelled from the other room.

I sighed and looked around the shop. There were racks of women's clothes all around. I was bored out of my mind and found myself wandering, looking at the clothes. It brought back an embarrassing memory. A certain incident that forced me to dress up as a woman to get into Don Corneo's house of ill repute so I could save Aeris from being his companion for the night. The most embarrassing part had been when Corneo actually picked me over Aeris. Had I really been that convincing as a woman? It was bad enough I had to get ridiculed by Aeris about it every once in awhile, but I thanked the Gods Barrett hadn't been around to see it or he would pick on me every chance he got for the rest of my life.

"I'm ready to go now."

I spun around just as Tifa walked out from behind the curtain with Stella. Holy crap, Tifa got her hair cut short, just passed her shoulders. It wasn't tied in a ponytail down to her butt any longer.

"How does it look?" she asked with a small smile.

She looked more beautiful than I ever imagined she would…but I could never say things like that outloud. "I dunno. I guess…I just gotta get used to it."

Her smile disappeared. "You don't like it."

I shrugged. "Why would my opinion matter to you anyway?"

"So now I can't even get your opinion as a friend?" She grabbed a garment bag out of Stella's hand and stormed out of the shop.

I frowned and looked down. What the hell did she want me to say, that I really loved her hair? That I wanted to run my fingers through it? That I wanted to see it spread out all over a pillow just before I came down to kiss the living daylights out of her? I wasn't good with romantic words.

Then I remembered Stella was still standing there.

When I looked up at her, she gave me a smile and motioned with her head. "Well, go after her."

I rushed out the door, but not because Stella told me to. I just happened to remember that I was supposed to be protecting Tifa. But as I looked around, I didn't see her. Had she gone into one of the other shops?

Hutchins waved a hand to get my attention and pointed a thumb at the bus.

I looked through the windows of the bus and saw Tifa making her way down the center aisle before sitting in one of the seats. Was that a clue she wasn't going to ride back with me? A little voice inside my head spoke to me: _Walk away, Cloud. Just let it go. If you pursue this girl, you're gonna get yourself in a heap of trouble. Remember what happened with Aeris? She's a friend and so is Tifa, which means no sex for you._ But I felt like a piece of shit for not even acknowledging that I liked her hair.

I walked toward the bus and climbed inside. It was empty except for Tifa sitting in one of the seats on the left. I made my way down the aisle.

She knew I was coming and with an angry frown, she turned to face the window and looked out.

I slid into the seat behind her and just sat there for awhile, trying to decide what I was going to say to her. I had to say something soon, before the rest of the girls finished shopping and got in the bus. "Tifa, you know I'm not good at giving compliments."

"Why in the world would I know that? I haven't seen you in over six years…and five of those years I thought you were dead. I don't know you anymore, Cloud." She whirled around in her seat to face me. She looked pretty angry. "Why won't you tell me what happened to you all those years?"

I looked down and irritably kicked the back of her seat. Why was everyone always trying to get me to talk about things I didn't even want to remember? Why were they always trying to get me to pour out my emotions? I liked keeping things bottled up inside. I liked living on the brink of an ulcer.

I forgot about her, that was the truth. I forgot because all of the memories I had of her had decided to hide away deep in my head. How could I tell her that without hurting her even more than I already was?

"I know why," she went on. "Because you found yourself a girlfriend in Midgar and you didn't want to tell her about your childhood friend from Nibelheim."

I rolled my eyes. "Oh yeah, that's it." She didn't know how far from the truth she was.

"You figured since you wouldn't be able to keep your promise, you might as well write me off. So you had someone write on the envelope that you were dead. Then you sent it back to me. The perfect way to get me off your back!"

I leaned forward. "No, Tifa, that's not what happened!" Dear Gods, she was the most infuriating girl I knew. Even when we were younger, I wanted to smack her and kiss her at the same time. "I never made it in SOLDIER! I came back to Nibelheim as a low-ranking Shinra guard when Zack and Sephiroth were checking on the reactor, but I kept my identity hidden from you because I was ashamed. I didn't want you to know that I failed."

Her expression changed and her jaw dropped a little in surprise.

But I wasn't done. I was going to get it all off my chest now before I changed my mind. "I was the one who made sure you were safe after Sephiroth burned down our town and nearly killed you! I was the one who killed Sephiroth when Zack couldn't finish the job! And you wanna know what happened after that?" I slid out of the seat. "Why should I tell you?"

Her brows narrowed in anger again. "What?"

"That's right. Why should I tell you? You wouldn't believe me anyway." I backed away from her. "I'll be on my bike if you decide to go back with me." I turned around to go back up the aisle and hopped off the bus. I was such a prick sometimes. I could have told her everything and I almost did.

The truth was, I didn't want her to feel sorry for me, for all the shit I went through. The experiments, the memory loss, thinking I was a First Class SOLDIER when I barely even made it through the first year.

I mounted Fenrir and started the engine. After pulling away from the curb and stopping near the bus, I looked at the time on my cellphone. 2:30. Time to get back. Just as the thought entered my head, Hutchins went around gathering the rest of the girls and they spilled out of the stores.

Every single one of them made some sort of comment to me as they passed.

"Hi, Cloud."

"Feeling better, Cloud?"

"How's your back, Cloud?"

"Nice bike, Cloud."

"Where's your sword, Cloud?"

When everyone was back on the bus, I put on my goggles and got ready to follow Hutchins.

Just then Tifa jumped off the bus and walked over.

I revved the engine, but didn't look at her.

"Can I ride back with you?" she finally asked.

I pretended not to care, but I was actually relieved that she wanted to. "Get on."

Tifa mounted behind me.

When her arms came around my waist and she leaned into my back, I got goosebumps. I wondered what I would feel if she touched me in a more significant way. Bad thought, bad thought. Shut up and drive, Cloud.

* * *

I sat in bed, my back against the headboard and watched the news on TV while Tifa got ready for the dance. She had been in the bathroom for well over two hours, coming out only once to get her dress...And wearing only a towel, which nearly gave me a heart attack.

"Wonder what Aeris is doing…" I picked up my cellphone and started dialing the Seventh Heaven.

The bathroom door opened right then and Tifa stepped out.

My brain stopped functioning. What was the rest of the number? Number? Who was I trying to call again?

I dropped my cellphone and stared wide-eyed as Tifa stepped in front of a full-length mirror. Holy mother of Odin. The dress was antique white satin and fit her like it was painted on. It was low-cut in front with pearls and beads and lace. The back of the dress was cut even lower, with more pearls, beads and lace. But the material was gathered sideways on the curve of her butt and it emphasized the shape in an amazing way. She looked like a model about to walk down the runway in a show.

I scooted off the bed and walked up behind her as she slipped on a pair of high-heeled sandals. "Tifa…"

She turned around to face me and I noticed her makeup was a little heavier than usual, but it wasn't over the top trashy. "Yes, Cloud?"

I was standing there with a thumb up my ass like an idiot. Not sure what to say. I scratched the back of my head. I had to say something this time or she'd be mad at me again. "You…you look beautiful."

A small smile lit her face. "Really? You think so?"

"Yeah."

She put her hands on her hips. "I thought you weren't good at giving compliments."

I fought the urge to get a better look at the low cut front of her dress. Damn, she looked stunning and I fought for the right words. "Take them while you can, Tifa. You look beautiful." My eyes finally wandered down to where I could see the swell of her…cough…breasts. And quite a bit of it, too. I wanted to tell her that she forgot the rest of the dress in the shop.

"You think Robbie will like it?"

My eyes shot back up to her face. "Who?"

"Robbie." She said it like I was supposed to know the guy personally.

I didn't think she had been serious about hooking up with this guy. I thought she liked _me_. But I didn't want to spoil her mood with my petty feelings. Besides, the last thing I needed was for her to think I was jealous. "I'm…pretty sure he'll like it," I mumbled with a frown and turned away.

"You're coming, too, aren't you, Cloud?" she asked.

"I gotta make sure everything's cool, so…yeah, I'm going."

"I'll save you a dance."

In my mind's eye I imagined pulling Tifa close to me, with my right arm around her waist, my fingers touching the smooth, bare skin on her back. My stomach did a flip and all my nerve endings decided to gang up on the tool between my legs. What was with my hormones lately? I had never been so gushy and horny around Tifa before. That's because the last time I saw her, she was only thirteen and I was only fifteen. Back then I didn't even know my occasional surprise erections had anything to do with girls at all.

My silence apparently disappointed her. "It's okay. Your girlfriend probably wouldn't like it anyway."

I shrugged. "Tifa, I already told you. Aeris isn't my girlfriend."

"Oh, right. You did tell me, last night."

"Yeah, I'll dance with you, if you want."

She frowned and looked down.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

When she looked back up at me, she sighed. "Cloud, you would tell me if we did anything last night, right?"

The truth was, I didn't remember if anything happened. All I remembered was making out and maybe copping a feel or two, then it was lights out in my head. We could have done everything for all I knew. But I wanted to ease her conscience. "Nothing happened, Tifa."

She looked relieved and disappointed at the same time. Or was I just imagining the disappointment because I wanted her to want me.

Something inside me flipped out. I lost control of myself and it was like I was watching it happen from a distance. My hands went to her face and I kissed her. Tifa responded by parting her lips and I took it as an invitation to slip her the old tongue. There was no alcohol this time to influence our actions.

Then suddenly she pushed against my chest, breaking the kiss. "No, Cloud."

I stared at her like _she_ was the insane one, not me. How could she be so receptive one minute and repulsed the next? "But I thought…"

She shook her head and backed away from me. "It took a long time for me to get over you. A very long time. I can't go through that again. I just can't!"

"Then stop fucking with my head!" I regretted the words the second they left my mouth.

Tifa spun around and headed for the door.

"Tifa, wait…I'm sorry."

She opened the door and walked out, letting the door swing closed behind her.

I cringed and shook my head. Fucking idiot. How many times was I going to let a girl shatter my heart like I didn't matter? First it was Aeris and now Tifa. Or was Tifa first? Oh, what the hell did it matter who was first anyway? I was the fool who let it happen. I fell for Tifa when I was just a kid and deep down inside I never stopped loving her. When Aeris came along, I was pretty sure all I was looking for then was something to buffer what I felt for Tifa, even though at the time I didn't remember Tifa existed at all. I hid my true feelings behind the false ones I felt for Aeris. I knew now it was always Tifa…

There was a knock on the door and I quickly walked over to get it. Maybe it was Tifa coming back to accept my apology. I swung the door open. But it wasn't Tifa.

It was Hutchins, holding up a suit on a hanger. "Here you go, kid. I had it cleaned and pressed for you."

I took it from him. "Thanks, Hutchins."

"See you downstairs."

I closed the door and walked between the beds. After laying the suit on my bed, I sat down on the edge of Tifa's. I stared at the suit like it was the first time I was ever seeing such a thing. It was dark blue with a bit of a shine to it. The shirt was white. There was also a blue necktie with little specks of white. It was the most hideous suit I had ever seen in my entire life and I was expected to wear it.

It wasn't the suit so much as it was the idea of going down to the dining hall where the dance was being held. I'd have to watch Tifa dancing with some other guy. I wasn't sure how I'd handle that. Maybe I let Aeris do what she wanted in front of me because deep down inside I didn't really care about her as much as I thought. It was different with Tifa.

The suit stared back at me, mocking me…calling me a chicken shit because I couldn't face the reality that my childhood friend…my bestfriend…no longer loved me the way I loved her. The pain in my chest hurt worse than what I felt this morning from the Bandersnatch's claws.

It was better when I didn't even remember Tifa existed in my life.

_

* * *

Please review._


	9. Careless Whispers

Author's Note – We're off to the dance! Some of you might be alittle disappointed because Cloud isn't going to dance…I just couldn't picture the right moves for him. Definitely not like John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever (although that would be hysterical), but maybe alittle like a toned down Justin Timberlake. But anyway, Cloud's too cool to dance, so he's not going to :oP

**

* * *

Chapter 9 – Careless Whispers**

After putting on the suit and looking at myself in the mirror, I immediately yanked off the tie and then the jacket because I thought I looked like a teenager trying to look like his father. So it was just the blue slacks and the white shirt. If anyone thought I was underdressed, tough shit.

As I made my way downstairs, it felt weird not carrying any weapons. But the harness straps would look strange with what I was wearing. Just to ease my mind, before I left the room, I stuck a Lightning materia in my pocket in case there was any trouble.

The area outside the dining hall was wall to wall students…both girls and boys…a mass of pastel dresses and multi-colored suits. It looked like a circus threw up in the foyer. My eyes actually hurt staring at all the colors.

I tried to look over all the heads, searching for Tifa in the crowd. Was she already inside? A minute later I spotted Sara and squeezed through everyone to reach her. "Sara, where's Tifa?"

"I'm not sure. She stormed out a few minutes ago."

"What happened?" I hoped she wasn't upset because of me.

"She saw Robbie and before she had a chance to go up to him, Priscilla rushed over and hugged him. He ignored Tifa like she wasn't even there. I'm really worried about her, Cloud. She's been waiting to see him for months."

I wasn't sure if I was happy the guy wouldn't be with Tifa for my own selfish reasons or sad because Tifa was undoubtedly miserable now. Leaving Sara to fend for herself in the crowd trying to get into the dining hall, I went in search of Tifa.

"Mr Strife!"

The voice shot up my spine like a blood-curdling screech. I slowly turned around and Principle Redgrave walked over. She was wearing her usual gray suit. Is that all the woman had in her closet, a bunch of gray suits? Or…was it always the same one? I tried to maintain my distance because if she permeated any body odor, I didn't want it to ruin my evening. "Yes, ma'am."

She gave me a cursory glance, up and down. "Where is your suit jacket?"

"I left it upstairs." Before her eyes reached my neck, I casually adjusted the collar of the shirt to hide the hickeys, in case any were showing.

"A suit jacket is required this evening."

I sighed. "It's not even my suit."

"Yes, Hutchins informed me."

"I can't wear the jacket or the tie. It looks like shit."

She visibly cringed when I cursed, but quickly regained her composure. "Very well, I will overlook it this one time. If there are any other social events, I will expect to see you in proper attire."

I backed away. "Fine, just give me the gil to buy a suit that fits and I'll prance around in it all you want." I didn't wait for her response as I turned and jogged off, heading down one of the empty hallways. Hopefully Tifa hadn't been stupid enough to go outside in the cold in nothing but that…revealing dress. When I rounded a corner I spotted her. She was sitting on the stairs and I could tell she was crying.

Tifa gave me a brief glance as I walked up and sat down next to her on the stairs.

I didn't say anything right away, waiting a minute. "Sara told me what happened."

She wiped at her eyes. "So you came to gloat at my despair?"

I rested my elbows on my knees and folded my hands. "No, I came to see if you were all right."

"That stupid Priscilla. She's taken every guy I've liked away from me."

I wanted to lighten the mood. "Well, she can't seem to find her own guys, so she obviously thinks you have better taste."

"So I'm supposed to take it as a compliment when she steals my boyfriends?"

Man, why couldn't I be word smart like Vincent? I was always saying the wrong thing. "I didn't mean it like that."

Tifa got up and started walking away. "I know what you meant, Cloud."

I got up and followed her. Unfortunately it was right into the Ladies Room, but luckily it was empty in there.

"What you're saying," Tifa continued, "is that girls like Priscilla get all the good-looking guys which leaves me with all the geeks." She went into a stall and unrolled some toilet paper.

I gave her a crooked smile. "Are you calling me a geek?"

She laughed for a second before she pressed herself against me and buried her face in my shoulder. "Thanks for trying to cheer me up, Cloud."

I slid my arms around her, comforting her in whatever way she needed me to. "Tifa, I'm sorry about before." She smelled so good, I was afraid I'd lose control of myself again and kiss her. "I didn't mean what I said."

"I'm sorry, too."

I nudged her until she raised her head up and looked at me. "I don't like seeing you cry. You want me to kick that guy's ass for you?"

She laughed again as she pulled away and wiped at her eyes with the toilet paper. "No, just forget it." She checked herself in the mirror. "Let's just go back and I'll pretend nothing happened." Her eyes wandered over me in the mirror with a frown. "Are those your clothes?"

I automatically looked down at myself. "No. Hutchins got them from Skutel. He said we were the same size."

"Well, Hutchins really needs his eyes checked."

I turned to the mirror. The slacks were too big around the waist and I had put on my belt to tighten them so they didn't fall off. The shirt fit fine at the shoulders, but was too big around the middle, so it was bunching out where I had it tucked into the slacks. When I glanced at Tifa through the mirror, I noticed she had a hand covering her mouth. "Do I look funny?"

She quickly shook her head, but her hand remained over her mouth, which led me to believe she _did_ think I looked funny.

* * *

When I got Tifa back to the dining hall, she sat with her friends at one of the formally decorated tables. She insisted I hang with them and I didn't mind it for once. I really didn't feel like sitting with the teachers and my little midget posse was too young to come to the dance. 

Sara and Jaden looked very nice in their formal dresses, despite the blinding colors. I wondered why Tifa had gone with an off-white color instead of the wild ones that seemed to be popular among the other girls. But I thought she looked classy and sophisticated in her dress.

I noticed Tifa glancing at one of the other tables and when I turned to follow her gaze, I saw Priscilla sitting with a dark-haired guy. This had to be Robbie. He looked tall even sitting down, over six feet maybe. I wasn't a very good judge of looks when it came to guys, but he seemed to be the type that attracted the girls, which was probably why Tifa liked him. I felt a wave of jealousy that she would like someone else and I hated feeling this way.

When I turned back to Tifa, she was playing with her silverware, angrily stabbing the knife into the table. "If she wants him so bad, then she can have him."

"He's an idiot, Tifa," Sara consoled. "All he wants is one thing or he wouldn't be sitting with Priscilla."

Tifa dropped the knife and sighed heavily. "Maybe I should start being more like her and sleep around with every guy I come across."

I was about to put in my two gils, but Jaden beat me to it. Which was probably better for me because I would have ended up saying the wrong thing anyway.

"Don't even think about it," said Jaden. "She's a tramp and there's no going back once you've been down that road. No guy's going to marry her when they find out she's had sex with more than half the population of Icicle Village and the surrounding towns."

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Tifa smiled. "You're right." She leaned toward me and wrapped her arm around mine. "Besides, I have all of my bestfriends to hang out with. Who needs a loser like Robbie?"

My heart did a backflip. I literally wanted to jump up on the table and do a little happy dance because that asshole was out of the picture. I just hoped no one else decided to step up anytime soon…before I had a chance to win Tifa back.

Her words burned in my head. _It took a long time for me to get over you. I can't go through that again._ I needed to make up for that lost time. I needed to convince Tifa that I wouldn't disappear on her again and prove to her that she could trust me. The one thing I had to do though was tell her the truth about what happened between the time I killed Seph in Nibelheim's reactor, to the time I showed up with Zack's buster sword in Midgar and joined AVALANCHE. I wanted her to know I didn't forget her on purpose.

"I'm starving," said Tifa. "Let's go get some food."

While Tifa, Sara and Jaden walked to the buffet tables piled with mountains of food, I decided to wait until there were less people up there. I hated crowds and I hated waiting in line. Plus it gave me a chance to look around for any potential kidnappers.

Even though I didn't trust anyone in the girls' academy, I had even less trust for those in the boys' academy. Anyone of the teachers could have been planted by the person threatening Shinra. Rufus was under the impression that only a limited few knew that Tifa Lockhart was his half sister. But there was no guarantee the assassin didn't already know. If Rufus didn't have his own suspicions then he wouldn't have hired me to protect Tifa in the first place.

The girls came back about five minutes later. There was enough food on Tifa's plate to feed a full grown chocobo.

"Is there anything to drink?" I asked.

"Yes, there's fruit punch over on that side," Tifa replied and pointed.

Fruit punch? Who the hell served fruit punch at a party? No alcohol, not even beer. Then I remembered not all the students here were eighteen, the legal drinking age. Oh well, I could always go upstairs and drink some of my secret stash.

I got up and decided to be a nice guy for a change. "Anyone for some punch?"

"I'd love some."

"That would be great."

"Thanks, Cloud."

I walked over to a grouping of three tables, set up in a triangle, with ten large glass punch bowls. In the center were three servers.

One of them greeted me with a smile. "Care for some punch?"

"Yeah, give me four."

He poured punch into four tall plastic cups. "Here you go."

I gathered the four cups in my hands.

"Are you him?"

I turned back toward the server. "Excuse me?"

"Are you the one in the papers, the one who fights monsters for a living?"

I sighed heavily, not at all interested in what this guy had to say about me. "No, I'm his evil twin brother. I rape and pillage small villages when I've got nothing better to do with my time."

His eyes widened a little and while he didn't seem to have anything more to say to me, I walked back to the table, laughing to myself along the way.

After I set the cups down and Tifa, Sara and Jaden took theirs, I noticed Jaden pull something familiar out of her purse. It was a small bottle of rum, just like the one I had stashed under my bed.

"Hey, where'd you get that?" I angrily asked.

She didn't bother to respond, so I knew she had taken it. With a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching, Jaden poured some rum in each of their cups of punch. "Want some, Cloud?"

I was really pissed because it was _my_ rum. But I held my cup out to her anyway. She poured a small amount. When I gave her a stern look, she poured more and then stashed the bottle back in her purse. I couldn't believe they were using my good rum and mixing it with _punch_. It tasted like shit, but I drank it anyway and even went back for second and third rounds for us. With all the booze we drank the previous night, I was surprised we were drinking at all. Well, at least I planned to not get so wasted this time. I wasn't sure what Tifa and her friends planned to do.

The minute Tifa put her fork down, I leaned closer and picked it up. The only thing that looked good on her plate was some kind of beef. I stabbed a couple pieces with the fork and shoved them in my mouth.

Tifa gave me a dirty look. "Can't you go get your own food, Cloud?"

"I'm not hungry." Even after I said it, I ate some of her potatoes before turning the fork back over to her.

"Hey, how's your back, Cloud?" asked Sara.

"It's fine. It's all healed."

Jaden smirked. "Can't say the same about those red spots on the side of your neck."

I frowned at her. "Which reminds me, you better erase those pictures."

"Come on, Cloud. You two looked so cute sleeping together in the bathtub."

"You wanna live to see another birthday?"

"Oh, I am so scared."

Tifa tilted her head to see my neck. "It's not that bad."

Jaden laughed. "Yeah sure, Tifa, were you trying to suck the blood out of him?"

"I was drunk. I didn't know what I was doing."

"I wonder what else got sucked during the night," added Sara.

I rolled my eyes and dropped my forehead on the table, banging it several times in frustration. Tifa's friends were merciless. I needed another drink.

* * *

The evening had gotten off to a dull start, but things started to pick up from that point on. And most of it wasn't even my doing. 

First Redgrave went up on the stage to give some kind of speech about the success of the two schools and how important it was to be educated. Someone threw a grape and it stuck in her cottony hair. When everyone started laughing, she kept pausing to question what was so funny. I laughed so hard, punch nearly came out of my nose.

Then Redgrave called up someone named Tanya Kilroy, who supposedly had the best grades out of everyone in both schools. Tanya started going up the stage steps, tripped on the hem of her dress and it just came right off. Everyone stopped clapping and stared in shock because she had nothing on except a black thong. One of the teachers rushed over to grab her dress, but when he went to cover her, he tripped and landed face first right into her flopping boobs. That was another rib-aching good laugh.

Then several of the students were going to participate in a Karaoke contest before the band started playing and a fight broke out between two of the girls about who was going to go first. Shoes and articles of clothing…and a large clump of hair…went flying around.

While that fiasco was going on, Tifa and her friends were talking about some of the ugly dresses. It was actually getting annoying and boring.

I looked around and reached for a balloon tied to a nearby chair. After ripping off the end of it, I sucked up all the helium and leaned over Tifa's shoulder to talk. "Oh my Gods," I screeched in the high-pitched voice due to the helium. (A/N: Think chipmunk now.) "Did you see the green dress? Wasn't it atrocious? Ugh! It's making me so sick I wanna puke in the punch bowl."

That immediately set the girls laughing.

"Do it again! Do it again!" yelled Sara.

Unfortunately after sucking the helium from four more balloons, I got light-headed and nearly passed out. When I said I was starting to feel sick, the girls thought I was faking it. Stupid balloons.

The night wouldn't be complete without the help of some very untalented singers during Karaoke. It wasn't even singing, it was shrieking. It was so bad I wanted to cry.

"Uh oh, Taylor's going up there again," warned Jaden.

We all groaned. The girl had been worse than terrible.

"Quick, someone get me some forks," I said.

Tifa gave me a strange look. "What for?"

"I wanna stick them in my ears and pop my eardrums. I can't listen to this shit anymore."

During a particularly bad rendition of a popular song, there was some commotion near the fireplace. Some girl's hair caught on fire when she leaned too close to the flames. Stupid girl. With all that hairspray holding her hair together, she was lucky she didn't explode. Too bad though, she could have taken a couple of her idiot friends with her.

Right after that some genius thought it would be a great idea to pass out cans of Silly String. Well, that brilliant plan turned sour. Everyone was spraying each other and it was getting everywhere…on the floor, in the chandeliers, in the punch…

Tifa thought it was hilarious when she sprayed it down the back of my shirt and had an even better time digging it out. If I was a real ass I would have sprayed it inside the front of her dress and told her it was my turn to dig it out. That could have been the highlight of my night.

The Silly String put an end to the Karaoke, thank all the Gods!

Right after that, Shades of Black went up on stage and started performing. At last, some real music. I recognized them right away, having seen them once in Junon.

Everyone was soon dancing to the music. I watched from the side, thinking these kids couldn't dance to save their lives. Not that I was an expert at it or anything. It just made me laugh when some people thought they were really good, when in fact they sucked.

Especially some of these guys…from under what rock did they crawl out of?

There was the 'Finger Snapper', who didn't move anything except his hand to snap his fingers. Now if he could just snap to the beat, that'd be great.

The 'Clapper' clapped every other beat, thinking it made his moves look better, especially when his arms went up so he could clap over his head. Looked totally hot. NOT!

Let's not forget the 'Body Rubber' who ran his hands all over his chest and legs, like that would make him look more attractive.

'Mr Jumping Jacks' had no other moves, so he went into a whole exercise routine, nearly poking out someone's eye with his flailing fingers.

What about the 'Leg Wiggler'? Apparently his legs were made of rubber and he couldn't control their movement.

The 'Crotch Grabber' was afraid someone would steal his family jewels so he'd check every thirty seconds to make sure they were still there.

And finally my personal favorite…'Mr Roboto'. That dance came out when I was like five and it was just as ridiculous now as it was back then.

Despite the distracting bad dancing of the guys, some of the girls were actually pretty good. Girls tended to have better rhythm then guys and even if they didn't but were hot looking, then no one cared how they danced anyway.

Tifa had some good moves. In fact, just watching her sway her hips and jiggle her…stuff, in that dress, made my mouth water. If I didn't think we were being watched by Redgrave and her clan, I would have been dancing with Tifa, grinding myself against that rotating butt.

Cringe…bad idea thinking about that. I needed to think about safer things or I'd be walking around with a boner all night long.

I kept my distance from Tifa, without really keeping my distance, even when she and her friends were dancing with other guys. I just wanted to give Tifa her space so she wouldn't think I was trying to keep her from meeting someone new. It was hard for me to act indifferent. Every guy that looked at her…I knew what they were thinking because I wanted to do the same thing.

In fact, as I was coming back from the bathroom, I happened to overhear something.

"Man, Lockhart has got some nice-looking cans on her. I'd love to get my face in there."

I moved closer and narrowed my brows at the guy staring at Tifa on the dance floor.

"Damn, look at that ass move. I just wanna stick my…"

I grabbed him by the back of his suit jacket before he could finish the thought and dragged him kicking and screaming out of the dining hall. A few minutes later I walked away from the closet where I kicked him inside. There was some banging on the door, but no one seemed to be paying him any attention as I walked passed their dazed faces, brushing dust off my sleeves. Anyone else want my foot up their ass?

Back in the dining hall, I made my rounds, checking that Tifa was still dancing with Sara and Jaden and some of their other friends. They were all doing a line dance. It was mostly girls. None of the guys could move like that.

I glanced over to where Redgrave was debating with Hutchins, pointing to the dance floor. I imagined she wanted Hutchins to stop everyone from dancing so provocatively. Like he could really do anything about it.

"Hi, Cloud," said someone behind me.

I turned around, recognizing the girl as someone in Tifa's Advanced Biology class. But I didn't know her name. "Hi."

She was blushing and nervously twittling her thumbs. "Uhm…do you…do you wanna dance?"

Uh oh…I never thought anyone here would ask me. I didn't want to hurt her feelings. "You know, I would but…my girlfriend probably wouldn't like it."

Her eyes widened. "Tifa's your girlfriend?"

Before I could correct her, she rushed off and got lost in a large group of girls. Five seconds later they were all looking at me. I turned around, thinking maybe they were looking at someone behind me. Nope, they were looking at me. Ah, shit. They all thought Tifa was my girlfriend. I was in trouble now.

Well, at least no one else asked me to dance after that.

* * *

It was soon going on 11:30. The band was quitting in fifteen minutes and the buses heading to the boys' school were leaving at midnight. 

Tifa walked up to me. "You promised me a dance, Cloud."

"I did?" I teased. "I don't remember that."

She laughed and took my hand.

I tugged along behind her as she pulled me into the middle of the hundred others dancing to the slow music. She felt so warm as I held her close against me. I breathed the scent surrounding her and closed my eyes, losing myself in the moment as we moved together.

"Do you have any idea why people think you're my boyfriend?" she suddenly asked.

I pulled back to look at her. "Uh…well, I kinda said to some girl that I had a girlfriend so I wouldn't have to dance with her. She figured it was you."

Instead of being angry, like I thought she'd be, she giggled. "Everyone's going to think it's true now that we're dancing together."

"We can stop if you want."

"No, let them think what they want." She wrapped her arms tighter around my neck.

When she started singing in my ear, I got a weird fluttering in my stomach. Was she really singing to me or was it just something she did when she liked a song.

_But if you can look in my eyes  
__And tell me we'll be all right  
__If you promise never to leave  
__You just might make me believe_

I felt as if we were together, like a real couple. For the first time I didn't fear _forever_. This was exactly what I had been searching for and wanted. Forever with her.

She played with the hair at the back of my head. "Your hair doesn't look like it would be so soft," she whispered in my ear. "But it is."

Damn, she was giving me goosebumps. But I wasn't going to let her get away with it. Just like I had imagined it in my mind earlier, I moved my hand to her bare back and began lightly brushing my thumb over her skin. When I felt her shiver, I turned my lips to her ear. "Cold?"

"Not at all."

For the next few minutes I forgot where I was. It was just me and Tifa, dancing slowly in a tight hug, holding each other closer than we had ever done before.

One slow song went into another. Since Tifa didn't show signs of stopping, I wasn't going to. I didn't ever want to let her go. But it was such a sappy song, I wanted to laugh.

_I need you tonight  
__I need you right now  
__I know deep within my heart  
__It doesn't matter if it's wrong or right  
__I really need you tonight_

I nearly whispered the last line in her ear. She probably would have slapped me.

The next song had a faster beat and Tifa's warmth faded as she slowly pulled away.

Her eyes locked with mine. "Do you know your eyes glow a little in the dark?"

"It's from the Mako."

Even though people were dancing around us, Tifa and I were just standing in the middle of the dance floor. Not moving, just looking at each other as we held hands.

She was going to say something to me. I could see it in her eyes. _Tell me you love me, Tifa and I'll tell you, too._

"Cloud, I…I…"

"Tifa?" said someone behind me.

I angrily turned toward the source calling her name and wanted to push them for breaking the spell between Tifa and I. Damn, it was him.

"Robbie," said Tifa.

I caught the touch of excitement in her voice when she said his name. This guy reminded me of Reno. Not in looks, but in the way he was stealing my girl. I could save me and Tifa a lot of heartache if I just zapped him with my Lightning materia. Just a little one would do the trick. Make his hair stand on end more than mine.

When I turned back to Tifa, she gave me a pleading look. "Cloud?"

I knew what she wanted. For me to split. "Yeah, sure. I'll see you later." I released Tifa's hands and walked away. I didn't wait to hear what else she had to say and I definitely didn't want to wait to see them together in any way.

_

* * *

Sorry there wasn't more happening at the dance. But the night's not quite over. Stay tuned!_


	10. Almost Near

Author's Note – I've increased the rating to M, mainly because of Cloud's liberal use of profanity, which I think in itself deserves a higher rating. Plus the next few chapters are going to contain some adult material. I'll post warnings in advance for those who don't care to read those parts. Keep the reviews coming. I love reading them!

**

* * *

Chapter 10 – Almost Near**

I paced in front of my bed in my bare feet, wondering why Tifa would even talk to that prick after he ignored her all night long to be with the school bimbo. And what was wrong with him anyway? Tifa had so much more going for her than Priscilla. Why would he have chosen Priscilla over Tifa? Dumb question…obviously he needed to get his rocks off and obviously Tifa wasn't that kind of girl.

So what did he want from Tifa now? I shook my head. _Stay out of it, Strife. She's old enough to make her own decisions._ We weren't kids anymore. She was eighteen, going on nineteen and I was twenty-one. Well, maybe we were still pretty young.

I decided I needed to go to bed before I did something stupid, like go back down there and catch them kissing or something. The mental image filling my head only poured fuel in the already blazing inferno that constituted my current mood. It just kept building and building and I was cutting a path in the carpet with my pacing.

I unbuttoned my shirt…or rather, Skutel's shirt…and yanked it out of the slacks. Why couldn't Sephiroth come back from the dead a fourth time? I needed to take out my frustrations on someone and he'd definitely help to improve my frame of mind. At least it would keep me busy so I wasn't thinking about Tifa…or Aeris…or Tifa…Tifa, mostly.

That jerk off was probably kissing her right about now. Telling her all the things he wanted to do to her. Were they hiding in some dark corner somewhere? Was he pulling up her skirt?

My feet carried me to the door and I swung it open with the intention of going back downstairs and ripping his arms out of their sockets…and also to let out that guy I kicked into the closet, if someone hadn't already done so.

I came face to face with Priscilla.

"Hi, Cloud." She didn't wait for me to invite her in as she swayed passed me, leaving a trail of something heavenly in the air.

I automatically closed the door. "What're you doing here?" I walked over and stopped her from reaching for my Apocalypse sword. "Don't touch that."

She turned around and her eyes drifted down to my open shirt. Her eyebrow went up in appreciation. "I was hoping to catch you alone."

"Whatever you've got to say, make it quick. Tifa should be up here in a few minutes."

"A few minutes? Oh, I'm pretty sure it'll be longer than that."

"Whatta you mean?"

She trailed a finger down the middle of my bare chest. "She's getting busy with Robbie in the Ladies Room."

I frowned at her. "What?"

"You heard me." Her eyes came back up to mine. "Did you really think she was so innocent?"

Another mental image filled my head. Tifa sitting on the bathroom counter, her dress hiked up to her waist and that scumbag pounding into her. I quickly shook my head to clear the image. "You don't know what you're talking about. I think you should leave." I wanted her gone so I could go find Tifa before she made a big mistake with that guy.

Priscilla smiled and pushed aside my collar to reveal the side of my neck. "What's this? Did you have a little fun with someone tonight?"

I took a step away from her, shrugging her hand off my shoulder. "None of your business."

Just then she unzipped the side of her black dress and slid it off her shoulders. It fell in a pool at her ankles and she stepped out of it. She didn't have a stitch of clothing on underneath.

In a moment of weakness I thought she was hot and perfect and she was probably great in the sack, given all the experience she had. But the moment passed quickly. Before I could tell her she was wasting her time, Priscilla came up and gave me a sensual open-mouthed kiss.

If my head wasn't so full of Tifa, I would have had Priscilla under me on the bed ten minutes ago. She was one of the sexiest girls I'd seen in a long time…but she wasn't Tifa. I grabbed her by the arms and pushed her away from me. "It's not gonna happen, Priscilla." I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.

She looked alittle angry at first, but then she smiled. "You want me, Cloud. I can feel it."

"Well, I ain't feeling it." I bent to pick up her dress and tossed it to her. "Get out."

Priscilla slid the dress back on, taking her time. She seemed to think I'd change my mind the longer she stayed naked in front of me.

I went to the door and swung it open, ready to physically kick her ass out if she didn't leave. To my surprise I found Tifa standing there, with her hand lowered as if she had been ready to turn the door handle. "Tifa…"

It was too late to prevent Priscilla from walking out right that second, slowly zipping up the side of her dress and making the whole situation look a hellova lot worse than it really was.

Tifa stared coldly at Priscilla.

"Hi, Tifa." Priscilla smiled before glancing back at me. "You were incredible, Cloud. Let's do it again soon."

What the fuck…I stepped out in the hall to say something but all I could think about was how bad this all looked.

Tifa turned her attention to me. Her face was red and she squinted her fiery eyes in anger. "You bastard."

Before I had a chance to open my mouth, she pushed passed me and went into her room. When I went to follow, she slammed the door in my face.

"Tifa, are you gonna believe what you saw or what I tell you?" That probably wasn't the right thing to say. When I tried the doorknob, I found it locked, so I knocked.

"Leave me alone, Cloud!"

I knocked harder. "Tifa, open up."

"Fuck off!"

That stopped my hand mid-knock for a second. This was the first time she'd ever dropped the F bomb on me. I pounded my fist on the door. "Will you just let me explain?"

Doors opened behind me and when I turned, I found several sets of curious young eyes staring. I realized how this looked. I was standing in the hallway, no shoes and socks, my shirt open like I just had a good time with someone and I was pounding on Tifa's door. This was obviously not the best thing for me to be doing. I could just imagine the rumors flying around in the morning during breakfast.

"Shit…" I walked away from the door, but not before glancing over my shoulder at the eyes continuing to stare at me. "Go back to sleep! Little maggots!" I jogged around the corner and came to the window at the end of the hallway.

After pushing it open, I hopped up on the ledge and pivoted to the left before jumping to the next window. My fingers caught. I pulled myself up and hopped to the next window. One more to go. When I finally reached Tifa's window and my arms were resting on the ledge, I pushed the window upward. Now to make my grand entrance. I hopped up on the ledge and jumped into the room…except my big toe caught on the string to the blinds and they came crashing down on top of me. Not as graceful as I had hoped.

After a frustrating thirty second battle with the blinds, I tossed them aside and turned to find Tifa staring at me with her mouth open.

Her surprised expression quickly turned angry. "Get out!"

"Tifa, please, just listen to me." I started walking toward her.

She retreated and picked up a book. "I'm not listening to you!" She threw the book at me.

It bounced off my chest. "I can explain." I tried to reach for her.

Tifa jumped on her bed and rolled off the other side. It was pretty impressive in that dress. "I'm not _ever_ listening to you! You louse!" She picked up a picture frame and threw it.

I ducked and the frame shattered against the wall behind me. "I didn't touch her!"

"I know what I saw!" She picked up a huge candle. "It certainly didn't take you long to get over me, did it? Four hours, that's gotta be a world record!"

When she threw the candle, I caught it before it hit me. "Will you stop throwing things at me!"

"I can't believe you'd do something this low to me!" She sat down heavily on the edge of her bed. "After what I told you earlier about that bitch! I might expect it from anyone else, but not you! Not you, Cloud!"

"Well, what about you? You practically shoved me out of the way when that stupid guy showed up."

"For your information, I wanted to tell you to stay with me while I told Robbie to go fly a kite. But you just left." She bent her head and covered her face with her hands. She started crying.

No, not again. I couldn't stand to see her cry. I knelt down in front of her. "Tifa, please don't." As usual, it was all my fault. Me and my short fuse. I reached up to remove her hands from her face. "I didn't do anything with her. I swear it."

Huge tears slid down her cheeks. "Then why was she in here?"

I wiped them away with my thumbs. "She thought she could use me to hurt you. I was kicking her out when you came. It's the truth.

She looked hopeful. "You didn't touch her?"

"I didn't touch her." It was partially true. Priscilla kissed _me_, I didn't kiss her. And I didn't touch her other than to push her away.

Tifa wrapped her arms around my neck. "Oh, Cloud. I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

I drew back from the hug and went for her lips, but her fingers came up between our mouths before I could get there.

"That doesn't mean I'm giving you the green light."

I pulled away. "Oh, come on!" I got up and paced. This was so not fair. Why was I the only one not getting lucky lately? Hopefully I didn't say that outloud. I stopped pacing and turned to her. "You were just balling your eyes out because you thought me and that bimbo did the nasty. Now I'm nothing to you again."

"What're you talking about? You're not nothing to me."

"Whatta you want from me, Tifa?"

"I just want you to be my friend again."

"I never stopped being your friend."

She sighed. "She sleeps around with everybody and I just don't want you catching anything from her."

My shoulders sagged. My knees sagged. My entire body sagged. "Why are you sending me mixed signals?" It was fucking me all up.

Tifa got up and walked to my equipment. "Well, I'm a little mixed up myself. I just don't know what I want right now."

I watched her pick up my Dragon Claw and wondered why she was slipping it on over her hand. "No, don't play with that."

She squeezed her fist, admiring the Dragon Claw. Then suddenly she headed for the door.

"Now what?" I asked before following her out. I didn't want to lose sight of her again. Especially while she had my very expensive Dragon Claw.

"You don't have to follow me, Cloud."

"Where're you going?"

"Nowhere."

I followed her down to the second floor and down three different corridors before she stopped in front of a door and knocked. I stayed back a few feet because I didn't want to look like a pervert in case whoever was on the other side of the door came out in their underwear.

The door opened and Priscilla appeared, still wearing her black dress. She barely opened her mouth to say a word before Tifa sent her fist, clad in my Dragon Claw, into Priscilla's face. The girl went down like a meteor, sliding six feet back across the floor.

Tifa clenched her teeth as she glared down at Priscilla. "That's for making me think Cloud had sex with you." Then she smiled sweetly at me as she walked passed.

I took several steps forward and stared with my mouth open at what Tifa had done. Priscilla was lying unconscious on the floor, blood oozing out of her nose and I was pretty sure the girl was missing some teeth. Holy shit! For a few seconds I actually felt sorry for Priscilla, but then I remembered she was a certifiable snake who thrived on causing mental anguish.

I headed back upstairs and back to Tifa's room.

The bathroom door was closed so I took the time to get out of my clothes and into my pajama bottoms. In the meantime I was trying to process the last five days. It started with the Aeris and Reno incident that was one of the reasons I accepted Rufus's job in the first place…the money was the main reason…Then I found out my childhood friend, whose existence I completely blocked out of my head for the last six years, was Rufus's half-sister and the one I was supposed to watch over. Then I learned she had as big of a crush on me that I had on her when we were kids, even though she treated me like shit in front of the neighborhood bullies. Then when I tried to make good on my own feelings for her, she pushed me away.

I needed to get my act together and figure out where the hell my head was lately.

The bathroom door opened and Tifa came out wearing a small tank top and small pink panties with Saturday stitched on them. Nothing else!

Where was my head? About to point north.

I gave her a crooked smile when she walked passed me like I was just a piece of furniture. Oh come on, either she was totally asking for it or she was trying to get back at me for the last six years. "You're kidding, right?"

She slid under her bed covers. "Kidding about what?"

She wasn't kidding. I shook my head in confusion and crawled into my bed. After I turned off the light, I let out a heavy sigh.

"Now what's wrong, Cloud?"

"Tifa, you can't just walk around in front of me like that."

"Like what?"

I knew she knew exactly what I meant. So what kind of game was she playing now? "Wearing practically nothing."

"Why not?"

Why was she trying to confuse me like this? "Just because." If she really wanted to know how it affected me, then all she had to do was look under my covers.

"I didn't tell you to move into my room. It was your idea. So I guess you're going to have to deal with it."

With another heavy sigh, I stared up at the ceiling in the darkness…looking for the cracks. Or maybe I needed to concentrate more on the obvious cracks in my head.

* * *

"The next thing I know, I'm waking up with a bloody nose and a chipped tooth."

Man, that Priscilla could act. She was all teary-eyed and innocent, like she didn't deserve to be punched in the face for being such a back-stabbing wench. Based on the cheers and hugs Tifa got during breakfast earlier, I figured the girls at the Icicle Village Academy didn't care too much for Priscilla. So how many had the girl wronged?

"I…I don't even know why…why Tifa hates me. All I've ever wanted was to be her friend."

Tifa, who was sitting in the chair next to Priscilla in front of Redgrave's desk, let out a disgruntled snort. "That is the biggest load of shit I've ever heard in my life."

I was standing behind Tifa's chair with my arms folded and I couldn't control the laugh that came out of my mouth. But when Redgrave's angry eyes went from Tifa to me, I coughed and put on my serious face.

Redgrave looked back to Tifa. "Miss Lockhart, I'd like to hear your side now."

Tifa folded her arms angrily. "I don't have one. Priscilla's a moron. She can't get her own guys so she has to steal everyone else's, especially mine."

"That is such a lie!" yelled Priscilla.

I jumped in. "Hey, you had your chance to talk. It's Tifa's turn." When Priscilla gave me an angry glare, I ignored it. Looks couldn't kill, so I wasn't going to die anytime soon. But it was a little disturbing to see the dark bruises under her eyes from the punch to her nose.

Priscilla turned back to Redgrave. "It's all his fault. He's the one that invited me to Tifa's room in the first place."

I barked out a laugh. "You wish!"

"Cloud has more class than that," added Tifa.

"Yeah, he's full of it alright," countered Priscilla.

"How would you know?" Tifa debated. "You have none."

"I have more class than you'll ever have."

"In your dreams!"

"Kiss my ass, Lockhart!"

"Not on your best day!"

"Bitch!"

"Whore!"

Redgrave grabbed her stapler and banged it on her desk. "That's enough, both of you!"

Tifa and Priscilla stopped badgering each other.

"Miss Darvis," Redgrave continued, "I've received many complaints about you and your escapades last night. And certain incidents in the past prove your blatant disregard for your fellow students or teachers. In my good conscience, I can no longer allow it to continue. You are expelled from this academy. I will be contacting your parents this afternoon to pick you up no later than Wednesday."

I couldn't see Priscilla's reaction, but I was pretty sure she was fuming.

Redgrave turned to Tifa. "Miss Lockhart, you know the school's policy on causing physical injury to a fellow student. It's grounds for immediate expulsion."

Priscilla turned toward Tifa and there was a cold look of satisfaction in her expression.

"However," continued Redgrave, "given the generous contributions your brother has made to the school, I can't justify expelling you."

"WHAT?!" yelled Priscilla.

"Miss Darvis, you are excused."

"_She_ hit _me_! Why am I the one being expelled?"

"That'll be all."

"My parents will sue the school! They'll make sure you don't have a gil to your name!"

"Yes, I'm sure they will. Bye, bye now."

I was alittle surprised by the sudden change in Redgrave. She was actually smiling as Priscilla marched to the door and walked out.

Once the door slammed though, Redgrave's smile dropped completely and she turned an angry set of eyes on Tifa. "As much as I enjoyed expelling Miss Darvis, I would enjoy expelling you even more, Miss Lockhart."

Well, so much for the nice Redgrave. The ogre took control again.

"Unfortunately this school needs the funds your brother provides every month. Mr Shinra has even promised a continuing annual contribution after you graduate from the academy next year."

"So that's it," said Tifa. "I get to stay because Rufus Shinra's my brother?"

"Yes, that is the one and only reason."

Tifa got up and caste a glance my way. "Social equality at it's finest."

I shrugged and followed her to the door. When she opened it, I caught sight of Priscilla rushing around the corner. That concerned me because I wondered what she had heard. I didn't have time to dwell on it as Tifa grabbed me by the hand and pulled me away.

"Get me out of here," she said.

"Where to?"

"I don't care. Let's just go."

* * *

The cold air felt good for once, especially after the stifling heat in Redgrave's office when the sentences were served. Tifa wanted to get out, so I got her out.

Now we were snowboarding down one of the less treacherous slopes just outside Icicle Village. I had given her a quick lesson on balance and she only wiped out six times before finally getting the hang of it. Six times…to my thirty-eight when I tried it for the first time a while ago. I was pretty impressed.

A quick glance over my shoulder…there she was on her rented snowboard, dark hair trailing behind her, looking amazing in skintight pants.

She was grinning from ear to ear. Suddenly her smile faded. "Cloud, look out!"

I turned my head just in time to see a huge boulder rushing toward me. There was only enough time to push myself upward. As I sailed over it, the back end of my snowboard clipped the boulder and I went spinning out of control. When I landed on the snow, I rolled about sixty-seven times before finally coming to a stop. Maybe it was only eight, but it felt like sixty-seven.

"Cloud! Cloud!"

It was payback time. I kept my eyes closed and pretended to be unconscious.

"Cloud!" Her voice was close now and I heard her footfalls in the snow as she made her way to me. "Cloud, can you hear me?"

I felt her warm breath on my face. Man, if I didn't think she'd slap the shit out of me, I'd kiss her again.

"Are you breathing?"

I squeezed my hand around some snow and flung it at her face. When I opened my eyes, she was gasping and I was laughing.

"You…you… big..." She grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at me.

For the next half hour, it was war. We flung snowballs at each other and although I was trying not to throw too hard, Tifa didn't seem to be holding back at all. She was throwing some melon-sized whoppers. Damn, she had quite an arm.

I called a truce when my cellphone rang and sat on the ground to look at the display. It was Barret. I flipped open my phone. "Hey, Barret."

"Yo, Spiky! Heard you was freezin' your tail off in Icicle Village all week."

I shook the snow off my hair. "Yeah, but it's not too bad. I'm indoors most of the time."

Tifa came and sat down next to me. She had a look on her face that made me suspicious.

"So what's up?" I asked. Barret didn't call unless there was a good reason.

"Well, you'll prob'ly see it in the news later, but Shinra was almost shot this mornin'."

"Shut up! Where was he?"

Tifa leaned closer and blew in my ear.

I frowned and pushed her away as I tried to listen to what Barret was telling me.

"…so he won't be makin' any personal appearances there anytime soon."

"Wait, where?" I pushed Tifa away again when she sprinkled snow all over my hair. "Tifa, cut it out. I'm trying to listen."

"What's goin' on, Cloud? You wit' a girl or somethin'?"

"Yeah, kinda. Where did you say it happened?"

"Rocket Town. He was givin' a speech. The shot came from the launch area, but it missed Shinra by a foot."

"So it was just a warning then."

"Why do you think that?"

"If someone wants him dead, they wouldn't hire an amateur to take a shot at him. A professional wouldn't have missed."

"Yeah, you're prob'ly right. Well, I wanted to share that wit' you so you keep your eyes and ears open, all right?"

"Thanks, Barret. I'll see you soon." I closed my cellphone and turned to Tifa.

She looked serious all of a sudden. "Is everything okay?"

I wouldn't have said anything, but I wanted her to hear it from me and not on the news. "Rufus was almost shot this morning. But he's okay. They missed him."

Tifa sighed in relief. "Wow, someone really wants to get him. I wonder why."

"Yeah, me too. He's made good on all his promises. He shut down all the reactors and provided other sources to maintain power in all the cities."

"And he's paid to rehab most of the destruction caused by his father," Tifa added.

"Someone still has a grudge."

Tifa nodded solemnly and we sat in silence for a minute. Then suddenly she grabbed a handful of snow and smashed it in my face.

Before I had a chance to retaliate, she got up and ran off in a fit of laughter. "Come back here, you little creep!" I ran after her.

* * *

I drew Fenrir to a stop a few feet from the edge of the water.

"Why're we stopping here?" asked Tifa.

"I want to show you something." I waited for her to dismount behind me before I did. "Go touch the water."

"Right, and freeze my fingers off?"

"Go ahead. It'll be all right."

She still looked skeptical as she walked up to the snow bank and crouched to dip her fingers into the water. "It's warm!" she said with a gasp. "How can that be?"

"Something under the planet's crust is keeping the water hot. I don't know how all that works, but it really saved me and my team once when we were traveling this way. None of us had any Fire materia. We would have frozen to death if we didn't stumble upon these hot springs."

"This is incredible. I've seen this lake from a distance for so many years and always thought the water was cold." Tifa stood up and unbuttoned her jacket. She tossed it aside and began unbuttoning her shirt.

I watched her with my mouth open. "What're you doing?"

"I'm going for a swim."

"I don't think that's a good idea." Duh, Cloud, let the girl take her clothes off if she wants to.

"Why not? Is there something dangerous living in the water?"

"No, but…"

She took off her shirt and then slid out of her tight pants, leaving her in her bra and Sunday's panties.

I just stood there like a lump on a log, staring at her in her underwear, like I'd never seen anything like it before in my life. I could feel the blood in my veins actually start to boil. And it was all rushing to the front of my pants, to the organ that had a mind of its own. Forget Priscilla. Tifa was far more gifted in certain places.

Tifa turned and did a running leap into the water. After she surfaced, she swam a circle and then came toward me. "Cloud, this feels so good. You should come in."

"No thanks. I'll just stay out here and be cold."

She smiled. "It's nice and warm in here."

"I'm sure it is."

"Come on, don't be a chicken."

I folded my arms. "I'm not chicken. I just don't wanna get wet."

Tifa splashed water at me.

"Knock it off, Lockhart."

"I'll make you a deal. If you come in the water, I'll let you kiss me for a whole minute."

"You'll _let_ me?"

"That's right."

"Well, maybe I don't wanna kiss _you_."

"Okay, suit yourself." She shrugged and floated on top of the water, paddling herself around in a circle.

Fuck, I could see right through her underwear. If I didn't get in the water with her, then I deserved the _Idiot of the Year_ award. I yanked off my jacket and stripped off everything but my boxers. It was freezing! The second I jumped into the water, I was instantly warm. It wasn't too deep so my feet touched the warm rocky bottom, leaving my head and neck above water.

"See, I told you," she said as she swam toward me. "It feels good, doesn't it?"

"Yeah, I guess it does."

"I suppose you want your kiss now?"

I gave her a crooked smile. "A deal's a deal."

Tifa was about three inches shorter than me, so her chin was partially submerged when her feet touched the bottom. She came up and pressed her hands against my chest. Then she tilted her face up.

As I looked down at her…into her eyes...a memory popped into my head.

"_I probably won't be able to come back to this town for awhile, Tifa."_

"_Will you be in the newspapers if you do well?"_

"_I'll try."_

"_Hey, why don't we make a promise? Uhm, if you get really famous and I'm ever in a bind…you come save me, all right?"_

"_What?"_

"_Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me. I want to experience that once."_

"_What?"_

"_Come on, Cloud! Promise me!"_

"_All right…I promise."_

Tifa narrowed her brows. "Are you going to just stand there and stare at me, or are you going to come and get your kiss?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something."

"About what?"

"About the promise I made back at the well in Nibelheim…when we were younger."

"You did come when I was in trouble, Cloud. I thought you were just another Shinra guard. I'm sorry for doubting you."

"It's okay, Tifa. In a way, I'm coming to your rescue again."

She smiled. "And what have you rescued me from so far? The big bad warden?"

"I can honestly say I hate that woman. Why is she such a hard ass? She reminds me of those old…"

"Are you ever going to shut up?"

"You shut up." I bent my face down and kissed her. But I wasn't sure what she'd allow me to do. She practically kicked me in the nuts everytime I kissed her…or tried to. I drew back a couple inches because I thought it was over, even though she said I could have a whole minute.

Tifa slid her arms around my neck and moved back in with an open mouth.

I took it as a good sign and followed her example. Her mouth was warm as I slowly slid my tongue in to taste her. She didn't resist…another good sign. I kissed her harder, stroking her tongue. A sound came from her throat. Did I dare hope she liked it?

The timer in my head told me more than a minute had passed as we continued licking and sucking each other's lips. It was more like three minutes.

Tifa brushed her tongue along my lower lip before finally pulling away with a suck. "How's that?"

I shrugged indifferently. "Eh, I've had better." That was so not true.

Tifa laughed as she pulled away and swam backward. "If you say so."

We swam for awhile longer, but I was keeping track of time. It would start getting dark in a couple hours and I wanted to make sure we were dry before heading back to the school or we'd freeze during the ride.

I hopped out of the water and hurried over to my bike. Inside one of the storage compartments was a heat-radiating blanket I used when I was on the road and had to sleep outside. I pulled it out and wrapped it around myself as I sat on the cold ground.

A few minutes later Tifa climbed out of the water and my eyes automatically drifted to her as she walked over. Hell, she might as well have been naked, cuz I could see everything.

Without a word, she squeezed her way between my arms and legs and curled up against me inside the blanket.

"Yeah, sure, make yourself comfortable."

"Don't mind if I do," she said with a deep sigh.

My sarcastic comment obviously went over her head. Did she seriously think I had the self-control to keep my hands from wandering? In about ten seconds she'd be feeling how much my lap appreciated her practically naked body. I slid my arms around her as she nuzzled her face against my neck.

"Thanks for being my friend again, Cloud."

I smiled to myself. Aeris had been dead set against being friends with benefits. Maybe Tifa would be more receptive to the idea. I mean, she let me kiss her and it wasn't just a friendly peck. It spoke to me of better things to come. "Hey, Tifa."

"Yes, Cloud?"

"What's with the condoms in the medicine cabinet?"

She pulled away and looked at me. "What condoms?"

I should have immediately dropped the subject. But I was an idiot. "They're on the bottom shelf in the medicine cabinet. I noticed them the other day."

"What, you think they're mine?"

"Well, whose are they?"

She wrenched herself out of my arms. "I can't believe you think they're mine. What kind of girl do you think I am, Cloud?" She walked away to her pile of clothes. "Just because I let you kiss me doesn't mean we'll be grinding in bed tonight."

I sat there with my mouth open. What the fuck just happened? One second she's practically crawling inside my boxers and the next she's blowing me shit. "I'm not saying I wanna use them, Tifa."

She stopped buttoning her shirt and put her hands on her hips. "Oh, so you think you're going to have unprotected sex with me? Dream on, motorcycle boy."

I buried all ten of my fingers in my hair. Maybe insanity ran on Tifa's mother's side…because both Tifa and Rufus definitely suffered from it. Or maybe it was me. I was an insane airhead to even consider getting intimate with this crazy girl? She didn't even know what she wanted, much less understand what I wanted. She was like a rollercoaster, an emotional train wreck. Even worse than me!

Maybe I just needed to swear off girls for like a decade, otherwise my brain was going to explode.


	11. On The Run

Author's Note – Love your reviews! Things will pick up in the next couple chapters. No more vegging around.

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Chapter 11 – On the Run**

My stupid cellphone was ringing again. Three times already. This time I grabbed it off the nightstand and looked at the display. It was Aeris. I closed my eyes and groaned. I really didn't feel like talking to her. It was 7:30 in the fucking morning. What the hell could be so important this early? I let it go to voice mail and rolled over to go back to sleep.

A few minutes later the damned thing started ringing again.

"Cloud," mumbled Tifa from her bed. "Shut it off."

I grabbed the cellphone and flung it into Tifa's closet. The ringing stopped, thank the Gods. Maybe the battery fell off. I went back to sleep.

* * *

Since there were no classes for the rest of the week, everyone seemed to be taking their time during breakfast. No one really had anywhere important to go. And it didn't seem like there were too many takers to go with Hutchins on his weekly chocobo watching tour. I thought about going just to make a nuisance of myself. Maybe catch a chocobo and while everyone was watching, I'd pretend it was chewing off my arm. 

"Does anyone know what we're having for lunch?" asked Sara.

"I don't know," replied Tifa. "Maybe we should go see a movie in the Village."

"I think I heard someone say we were having crab cakes," said Jaden.

I had my elbow on the table and my chin resting in my hand as I absently stirred the small diced potatoes into the runny eggs on my plate. There was literally nothing to do in this school. Maybe I could talk Tifa and her friends to go snowboarding…but we weren't going back to that lake. No way, never again.

After listening to Tifa, Sara and Jaden talk for a few minutes, I suddenly looked up. "Did you say _crap_ cakes?"

The three of them stared at me like I had food on my face. Then they started laughing.

My little first-grade friend, Jessica ran over. "Cloud! Cloud! Your picture's in the newspaper again." She shoved the paper in front of my nose. "Look!"

I was in the paper? How could that be? I hadn't even done anything public lately. I took the paper from her hands and moved it away from my face so I could actually see it. Sure enough there was a picture of me, one that was used quite a few times. But not only me…Tifa and Rufus, too. The headline read 'President of Shinra Corp Has a Secret Sister'. Oh no! I quickly scanned the article for the important facts.

…Tifa Lockhart and Rufus Shinra share the same mother…

…the ex-Mrs Shinra moved to Nibelheim and married the town's governor…

…Lockhart was born in Nibelheim nearly nineteen years ago…

…sources say President Shinra has been receiving death threats, which explains the shooting at Rocket Town while he was there on Sunday morning…

…Cloud Strife, ex-member of the anti-Shinra terrorist organization AVALANCHE, was hired as Lockhart's bodyguard…

…our source says Lockhart and Strife, childhood friends from Nibelheim, are romantically involved…

…Lockhart is currently finishing her schooling at the Icicle Village Academy…

"That stupid asshole!" I blurted out. "Might as well paint a big bull's eye on the roof of the fucking building." The dimwitted reporter had no idea he was condemning Tifa when he wrote the article.

My next thought was, who could have tipped off the reporter? Who else but Redgrave knew that Tifa was Shinra's half-sister? I couldn't imagine Redgrave saying anything. She'd be cutting off her own nose by leaking the information because Shinra would totally cut off funding to the school.

It had to be someone else.

I glanced around. My eyes fell on Priscilla, four tables away. There was something about the look she was giving me. Like she was savoring some kind of sick satisfaction out of doing something terrible. She must have overheard us talking in Redgrave's office. Was it possible she called the reporter? But what about all the other things in the article? How could Priscilla know any of that? All that was said in Redgrave's office was that Rufus was Tifa's brother. There was no discussion about their mother or our childhood in Nibelheim.

Well, I wasn't going to find out anything by sitting on my ass and waiting for the answers to come to me. I rolled up the newspaper and got up. "Come on, Tifa."

She looked up at me. "What, I'm not done eating."

"We gotta go right now."

"Cloud…"

"I mean it. Let's go." When she wasn't making a move to get up, I went around and grabbed her by the arm. "Will you please just listen to me for once in your life?"

Tifa finally got up and didn't put up a fight as I dragged her out of the dining hall by the arm. "Cloud, what the hell's the matter with you?"

As I kept her moving down the hallway to the stairs, I handed her the newspaper.

She gave it a cursory glance. "So what? So it's finally out that Rufus has a sister."

I stopped and turned her around to face me. "Don't you get it? If everyone knows then chances are the person threatening Rufus also knows. They'll come after you to get to him." I grabbed her by the arm again to pull her up the stairs. "We gotta leave."

"You mean leave the school?"

"Yes."

"Right now?"

"Yes, right now."

"And go where?"

"I don't know yet."

We walked into her room.

"Grab some clothes," I told her as I rushed to the corner where my dirty clothes had been piling up…except they were all gone! "Where's my stuff?"

"Oh, I forgot to tell you. Beatrice comes around our section of the floor on Monday mornings to pick up our laundry. She'll have it back here by tonight."

"I can't wait until tonight." I grabbed my duffle, which luckily still had a couple sweatshirts, a clean pair of jeans and two clean pairs of boxers. I shoved my mp3 player in it and sat on the bed. As I waited for Tifa to get her things, I grabbed my phone and listened to the two messages left from this morning when I threw the phone into the closet.

The first one was from Aeris. "Did you see today's paper, Cloud? Call me as soon as you get this message."

The second one was from Rufus. "Cloud, I'm sending Reno with the chopper. Someone leaked that Tifa's my sister. I don't think the school's safe anymore. Reno should be there around 11:00. Be ready."

"Rufus saw the paper, too and he's sending a chopper to pick us up." I closed my phone and looked at the display. It was 10:15. There was still some time before the chopper arrived. I got up and walked to my weapons. I strapped the weapons harness to my back and slid Apocalypse and Organics in their places. My other swords were still with Fenrir.

Tifa turned around with an armful of clothes. "Where should I put these? I don't have a suitcase."

I grabbed the clothes and shoved them into my duffle. When I turned back to her she had another armful, bigger than the first one. "No way, Tifa. That's it."

"What? I'm not leaving my stuff here."

"You'll be coming back as soon as this all blows over. Don't worry about your stuff."

She rushed into the bathroom and came back out with a hairbrush, our toothbrushes and my razor. After she tossed them in my duffle bag, I zipped it up.

Just then I heard the sound of a helicopter. I went to the window and saw it coming from over the trees. That was fast. Reno was a half hour early.

I moved away from the window and grabbed Tifa's arm. "Let's go."

"What about Redgrave? Shouldn't I tell her I'm leaving?"

I led Tifa out of the room. "I'll let her know on my way down to get my bike. I want you to stand by the front door and wait there for me. Okay?"

"Okay."

When we got to the first floor, we split up. Tifa went toward the entrance while I went toward Redgrave's office. When I opened the door, I found the room empty. I didn't have time to look for her. I'd have to call her later if she didn't figure it out already from the article in the paper.

I quickly went down to the basement where Fenrir was parked. After stowing the duffle bag and starting my bike, I pulled away and stopped near the closed overhead door. A maintenance man inside a glass-walled room gave me a wave. When I acknowledged him back with a wave, he pushed a button on the wall and the door started rising.

"Wait, Cloud!"

I turned to see Hutchins jogging toward me.

He stopped in front of me, a little out of breath. "That Shinra helicopter didn't respond to any of our hails."

"The pilot's name is Reno."

"Well, whoever's in it didn't respond."

I removed the brake and flew out the door. As I made my way around to the front of the building I saw Tifa walking toward the helicopter. Dammit, I thought I told her to wait for me at the front door.

There was a man standing next to the open helicopter door. He had on a dark suit similar to the ones worn by the Turks. He looked suspiciously like Tseng, but Rufus didn't say anything about sending anyone but Reno. Rufus wouldn't make such a blunder, knowing the seriousness of the situation.

I sped up. "Tifa, stop!"

Tifa whirled around at the sound of my voice.

The man in the dark suit suddenly rushed over and grabbed her from behind. She struggled with him, kicking her feet up in the air. Someone else appeared from inside the chopper, holding a rifle and fired some shots at me. I swerved Fenrir and swung Apocalypse up to deflect the bullets.

I watched the man start to drag Tifa toward the helicopter. As the shots continued to come at me, I ducked down and sped up even faster.

Just then Tifa slammed her elbow into the man's gut and then flattened his toes with her boot heel. The second she pulled away from his grip, she ran and slid under the belly of the chopper. Good girl!

I changed course and went around to the other side, avoiding the bullets. Tifa came out from under the chopper and I slowed down so she could jump on behind me. "Hang on!" I swerved and headed in the direction of the front gate. A glance at my mirror revealed the chopper lifting off the ground behind us.

The front gate was closed. There was no way I could crash through it. The bars were too strong. There was a large boulder on the left and nothing on the right.

"Hold tight!" I turned toward the boulder and accelerated. When I was within inches, I raised Fenrir's front end and rode right up the boulder, launching us into the air. Shit, it was going to be close. If the back tire hit the spikes at the top of the fence, it would blow and we'd crash.

The Gods were on our side. We cleared the top of the fence and landed smoothly on the other side just as the chopper came bearing down on us. They were so close I could feel the air turbulence from the spinning blades.

I was going on the hopes they wouldn't shoot at us for fear of hitting Tifa. No sense in them killing their bargaining chip. If they wanted her dead, they could have shot her coming out of the building. They wanted her alive…but probably wouldn't give a second thought to killing me.

I swerved off the road and headed for the forest, the chopper matching every move I made. "I told you to stay inside!" I yelled over my shoulder at Tifa.

"I thought it was Tseng!"

"I don't care if it was Ifrit himself standing out there! When I tell you to do something, that doesn't mean do the opposite." Ahh, shit…that reminded me. Except for the Fire materia I had in my pocket, I left all the rest in the drawer of the nightstand back at the school, including my Ifrit Summon. Damn, that could have come in handy right about now.

"I'm sorry, okay!" she yelled back.

We reached the trees and the helicopter was forced to pull up at the last second to go over them. I maneuvered around them while trying to maintain our speed. A few minutes later there were too many and they were too close together to continue. I had almost lost a mirror driving between two trees.

I skidded Fenrir to a stop and looked up. The chopper was circling in a wide arc not too far away. They were looking for us. As the chopper flew overhead, I saw the Shinra logo on the side of it.

"Go that way," Tifa said as she pointed over my right shoulder.

"What's that way?"

"A tunnel."

"Where does it go?"

"I don't know. We've never gone all the way through."

"We?"

"Me and my friends. We snuck out one night and found the tunnel."

"Not very smart with Bandersnatches lurking around."

"No, they weren't always around, just in the last two years."

I pulled forward, but could only go very slow to avoid the trees. The good news was the helicopter was having a hard time locating us and wouldn't be able to follow our progress from above the trees. The bad news was, we had no other choice but to go to this tunnel Tifa mentioned. On the open road, the helicopter could get close enough for a clean shot at me.

I scanned the immediate area to make sure there was nothing prowling around us before I drew to a stop again.

"Why're we stopping again?" asked Tifa.

I grabbed my phone. "I'm calling Rufus to tell him what happened." I punched in the number.

He answered after the first ring. "Cloud, I hope you got my message."

"Yeah, I got it. Listen, Rufus, we got a problem. Somebody in a Shinra helicopter is chasing us and it's not Reno. They nearly got Tifa."

"Where are you now?"

"We're in the forest, a couple miles from the school. South, I think."

"A Shinra helicopter, you say?"

I glanced up through the trees as the helicopter passed over us again. "Yeah, number 364AE99."

"I see."

"Whatta you see?"

"That helicopter was stolen from Healin several months ago."

I looked back up. The helicopter was moving a little further away. "So we've got some people posing as Shinra personnel. That can't be good."

"Do you know how to get to the Forgotten Capital?"

"Like the back of my hand."

"Alright, head there for now."

"You better call Reno and tell him to lay low. They might try to shoot him down." As much as I hated Reno, I really didn't want him to get capped because of me.

"Good idea. Call me again when you can."

I closed my phone and shoved it into my pocket.

"What did he say?" asked Tifa.

"He thinks we should head for the Forgotten Capital?"

"The last Cetra city? No one's ever been able to find it."

"I did."

"No way."

"Which way is that tunnel again?"

She pointed and after looking up to see that the helicopter was panning alittle further away, I pulled forward again.

If the trees got any thicker, I was afraid I'd be forced to leave Fenrir behind. Hell with that. I'd cut down some trees to make a path if I had to. I wasn't leaving my precious motorcycle behind.

_

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Please review! Tell me what you want to see…more action, more verbal sparring, more sex…your wish is my command._


	12. Disarray

Author's Note – Although I haven't played the latest FF7 game, _Crisis Core_, I've watched a bunch of videos on Youtube and I've read the translated game script. It's fascinating to know what went on before the Nibelheim incident, even though Cloud had a small part up until the end. _Crisis Core_ fills in all the gaps we didn't see in the original FF7 game. In a FF forum, I read complaints about Zack Fair dying at the end of _Crisis Core_, that it should have ended differently. But that's how the story goes. Square-Enix can't change it now. It's a very sad ending. For anyone who hasn't seen it, I highly recommend it. Go to Youtube and do a search on _Crisis Core_. It's the video that's over 9 minutes long and in Japanese. I haven't seen a translated video yet, but again, I've read the game script, so I know what Cloud and Zack say to each other…and get out the box of tissues cuz you'll need them.

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Chapter 12 – Disarray**

The tunnel Tifa mentioned ended up being a labyrinth of different-sized caves. It reminded me of the time in the Northern Crater, with all the different paths and caves we went through while searching for Sephiroth. She said she and her friends had only been in the very first cave one night and were too afraid to venture any further, so she could never have known how deep into the mountain this went, or if there was even another way out.

I dug my phone out of my pocket to check the time. 5:30. We had been wandering around for over six hours, looking for a way out besides the way we came in. Luckily I had the good sense to mark the paths we had already taken so we weren't going around in circles. There just didn't seem to be an end in sight.

Tifa was shivering and clinging to me for body heat. It was cold. If I had known we were going to be driving around, I would have told Tifa to grab a jacket and not left her in just her tank top. But the plan had been to get in the chopper when Reno arrived, so jackets wouldn't have been necessary. So much for that plan.

"Cloud, can we stop, please? I gotta go."

"Hold it for just another minute, I'm gonna take us back to the cave with the water. At least we'll have something to drink." I glanced up at the scattered holes in the ceiling of the tunnel. Most of the caves we had searched had similar holes. When it was still light out, some of it had actually found its way into the caves. But it was dark now and the only light came from Fenrir's headlamp.

I carefully drove around a cropping of stalagmites and headed back into the cave I had already marked as having no exit. After I pulled to a stop, Tifa immediately dismounted and ran off behind some rocks in the glare of the headlamp.

I dismounted and walked to a corner to take care of my own business. Then I walked around and gathered small pieces of wood lying around. When Tifa came out from behind the rocks, I pointed to the ground around her feet. "Grab that wood over there."

A few minutes later we had a large pile of wood.

I picked up my Dragon Claw and inserted a Fire materia into one of the slots. With a flick of my hand, the pile of wood began to burn.

Tifa sat down on a large rock near the fire and held her hands up to the flames to warm herself. She looked alittle distressed, which was understandable, given the trouble we were in. "Cloud, I'm sorry for bringing us in here."

I shrugged. "It's not your fault, Tifa. Besides, it's better in here than out there." I went to retrieve my heat-radiating blanket. It was only going to get colder as the night wore on. Then I remembered my duffle bag and pulled one of my sweatshirts out. "Here, put this on."

Tifa took the sweatshirt and slipped it on over her tank top. Then she moved over to make room for me.

I sat down next to her on the rock and threw the blanket around us.

She rested her head on my shoulder. "Do you think they'll do something to the school?"

I knew what she was thinking, that they might hurt everyone, including her friends. "I don't think so." I really didn't know because I didn't know who was behind all of this. Who was the enemy? What were they capable of doing? Would they torch the school and everyone in it? I hoped not. It was all so confusing. The death threats. The warning shot in Rocket Town. The stolen Shinra helicopter. They were going to a lot of trouble to get Tifa. Whoever was after Rufus Shinra wanted more than to see him dead. What did they want from him? They could have easily killed him in Rocket Town with one shot. I was really afraid for Tifa. There was no telling what they'd do to her to get whatever they wanted out of Shinra.

Tifa wrapped her arms around me and I held the blanket tighter around us.

We sat together in silence like this for awhile. I couldn't tell how much time was actually passing. She seemed lost in her own thoughts so I didn't want to bother her with mine.

"Whatever happened to Zack Fair?" she suddenly asked out of the blue.

I sighed, remembering Tifa had met Zack when I went to Nibelheim with him and Seph five years ago to check on the reactor. Apparently she didn't hear the news of his death. It was never published in the papers because it was covered up by Rufus's father. It would have been bad publicity if people knew he had been involved in the killing of a SOLDIER hero. "He was killed last year by Shinra guards, just outside of Midgar. That's when Rufus's father was still in charge. Besides you, Zack was the only real friend I ever had. He believed in me." The memory of Zack's gruesome death was still painful to remember. "He inspired me to be the best that I can be." I detached myself from her to tend to the fire, tossing in more pieces of wood.

After a few more minutes of silence, she spoke again. "Why do you do it?"

I looked at the wood in my hands. I was pretty certain she didn't mean why I was throwing it in the fire. "Do what?"

"Why do you put up with me?"

Oh, that. Hm…what was the appropriate response to that loaded question? "Because I care about you."

She looked down. "I thought you forgot about me."

Now was probably as good a time as any to tell her. It's not like there was anything better to do. I was just going to tell her the truth without sugar-coating it. "The truth is, Tifa, I did forget for awhile. In the reactor in Nibelheim, before I killed him, Sephiroth ran his Masamune through my chest. I should have been dead. A man named Hojo, who worked for Rufus's father at the time, had me and Zack brought back to the Shinra mansion. I only remember bits and pieces of what happened because I was in a coma most of the time. But the parts I do remember, I wish I could forget. I remember a lot of pain…Mako showers and injections…It went on for over four years. I'm pretty sure it was Hojo's doing to send that letter back to you, saying I was dead. It was to cover up what he was doing and cut all ties connected to me."

Tifa wrapped her arms around my chest and leaned her head on my shoulder again.

"Zack managed to get out of his Mako containment and got me out, too. But I was so out of it I couldn't even help him fight the guards chasing us. We almost made it to Midgar when the Shinra guards caught up. I didn't see it, but I could hear Zack fighting. There were just too many of them. When it was over, I crawled to him and he died right there in front of me, right after he handed me his Buster sword." I stared at the fire for awhile, recalling Zack's last words to me.

_Continue living. You are proof that I existed. My dreams and my pride, I give it all to you._

"I was so confused after I left him lying there. I hardly remembered anything about my life before that and for awhile I thought I was a First Class SOLDIER, just like Zack. I joined AVALANCHE when I got to Midgar, because I hated everything about Shinra. They were responsible for Zack's death and everything that was wrong with me. Our goal was to destroy all the reactors in Midgar because they were draining the life energy from the planet. President Shinra came after us with everything he had. He purposely blew the pillars holding up Sector Seven and didn't give a rat's ass about all the people that were killed when the plate collapsed on top of them."

"So it _was_ his fault," Tifa whispered to herself.

"We discovered Sephiroth was back when we found President Shinra speared with a Masamune in his office at Shinra headquarters. Hell, I guess Seph did us a favor back then by killing the man."

"So you had to kill Sephiroth again?" she asked.

"We chased after him from one end of the world to the other until we caught up to him at the Northern Crater. It was during that time I rediscovered a lot of things about my past. But not everything." I decided to save Sephiroth's third resurrection story for another time. "I guess all that's happened just left me feeling pretty bitter."

"I don't blame you for being pessimistic, Cloud. Look at what you've been through." Tifa pulled back so we were face to face. "Were the memories of me so bad that you blocked them out?"

"I have no bad memories of you, Tifa."

She smiled. "Liar."

I found myself smiling back. "Alright, so maybe there were a few times I wanted to push you off a pier, or down a cliff, or in front of a bus..."

Her smile faded. "Okay, I get it."

I laughed briefly. "I'm kidding. It took seeing you again for me to remember everything about us."

Tifa frowned and looked down. "When I saw you in the papers for the first time a couple months ago, I wasn't sure if it was even you. They had pictures of someone fighting a monster as big as a building. The story identified the person as Cloud Strife. I wondered if there could be two people with the same name." She shrugged and continued to look down. "But then the papers started publishing close up pictures and even though I didn't want to believe it, I knew it was you. All this time I thought you just didn't want to be friends anymore."

"I'm sorry, Tifa."

"No, Cloud. I'm the one who's sorry. I feel like such a jerk. Here I was thinking bad about you for months, not knowing the terrible things you had gone through all those years."

"Why don't we just start over?" I pulled her into a hug underneath the blanket and squeezed her tightly. "This is what I should have done when I saw you in Redgrave's office that first day."

She let me hold her for a few minutes before she drew back a little.

When she moved to sit sideways on my lap, I wondered if it was because she wanted to purposely get closer or because her butt was getting cold sitting on the rock.

She nudged my nose with hers. "This is what I should have done when I saw you." She gave me several soft kisses on the lips.

I was afraid to react because I wasn't sure what she was trying to do. And I certainly didn't want to get all hot and bothered if she was just messing with me again. A guy could only handle so much rejection from the same girl. I had my pride to consider.

"I wasn't sure if you were the same Cloud I knew in Nibelheim. You were different. I didn't trust you." She kissed me again.

I pulled back to look at her. "And now?"

Her cheeks turned a little pink. "I love you, Cloud. It's always been you."

I couldn't believe my ears. She said it. She actually said it. I closed my eyes and leaned against her forehead, not trusting that I wouldn't burst into tears in front of her. There was so much I wanted to tell her, so many feelings I wanted to share…I felt like a love struck teenager. Damn, this was not a good feeling…or, maybe it was alittle. "I love you, too, Tifa." The words came out of my mouth like it didn't belong to me. Since when did I become such a sap? I couldn't help it. My arms were full of Tifa. I'd promise her anything if she asked me.

"I know."

I pulled back to look at her. "Whatta you mean you know?"

She giggled and kissed me with an open mouth without giving me an answer.

I forgot the question anyway by the time our lips touched. It was tongues and teeth and saliva. Dammit, I loved making out with her. She had a way of sucking on my lower lip that shot electric currents down to my groin. My raging hormones begged for more. But I behaved myself, which was quite a surprise and an accomplishment.

When Tifa started getting sleepy, we laid down on the ground and I folded us in the blanket. She rolled on her side, facing me and I scooted close against her to maintain the body heat between us. She used my arm as a pillow.

As I laid there next to her, watching her sleep, I thought about the future…the immediate future. Where would she be safe? Not at the Seventh Heaven. The bad guys would think that'd be the first place I'd go. It would have to be Healin, where Rufus was staying.

I pressed my face against hers and closed my eyes. No matter where she went, I planned to go with her.

* * *

In the morning, the cave was bathed in spots of sunlight. I almost would have thought it was magical if Tifa and I weren't in our current predicament. It was cold, we had no food and there were people out there looking to kidnap her and kill me. 

When Tifa started brushing her teeth next to the pool of water in the middle of the cave, I impatiently rolled my eyes as I sat on Fenrir, ready to go. "Tifa, come on."

She held up a finger, telling me to wait.

My cellphone rang and it echoed loudly in the cave. I pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the display. Aeris. Oh, shit, I forgot to call her back yesterday. I quickly answered it. "Hello?"

"Cloud, is everything all right?"

"Yeah, yeah, everything's fine." I didn't want her to worry so I decided I wasn't going to tell her anything.

"Did you get my message yesterday?"

"Yeah."

"Well, why didn't you call me?"

"Sorry, I forgot."

"Did you read the paper?"

"Yes, I read it."

"What're you going to do?"

"I took Tifa out of school and we're headed for…Bone Village, yeah." I hated lying to her, especially when we were headed to the Forgotten Capital, the city of her ancestors. But if she knew the truth, she'd try to do something to help and I didn't want her to get involved in any of this. I just hoped her boyfriend kept his mouth shut about everything that happened.

"Is that where Reno's picking you up?"

So Reno did say something to her. I wasn't sure how much though. "That's the plan."

Tifa finished brushing her teeth and walked up to mount behind me.

"I'm worried about you, Cloud," said Aeris.

"I've been in worse situations before, Aeris. You know that."

"Just be careful, okay?"

"I will."

"Bye."

"Bye." I closed my phone and slipped it back in my pocket.

Tifa leaned in and kissed my cheek. "She's worried, isn't she?"

"Yeah, a little bit." I turned to look over my shoulder and Tifa planted a kiss on my lips. Damn, Tifa knew Aeris and I were living platonically together. Hell, everyone reading the newspapers knew about it because it was mentioned a thousand times before. It was the main reason the Seventh Heaven was always busy. People came to see if I was around. They wanted to meet the 'infallible Cloud Strife' as the newspapers often dubbed me. If Tifa ever found out me and Aeris had sex once, she'd kick my ever loving ass. I knew I'd have to tell her. The last thing I wanted was for her to hear it from someone else. "Ready to find a way out of here?"

She wrapped her arms around me. "Let's go."

* * *

I climbed up the side of the cliff and peered over the top, looking in the direction of the voices. 

There were three of them, all in Turk suits. The one looked so much like Tseng, they could have been twins. A woman was also among them. I hadn't seen her earlier at the school, so she must have been the one flying the helicopter.

I couldn't hear what they were saying, so I scooted more to the right until I was out of their line of vision. After hopping up from the ledge, I snuck behind a cropping of rocks and crouched to listen.

"I'm telling you, if we get the dogs down there, we can have them within a few hours."

"They could have backtracked during the night."

"No way. The girl would have froze to death without a coat. He wouldn't risk it."

"Well, either they're heading for Bone Village or they're not coming out of the caves."

"Some of those caves contain hot springs. They could stay in there for a pretty long time."

"Yeah, but I doubt Strife had time to pick up any food before they left, much less have any room on his bike for it. And I don't think those caves have much in there to snack on."

"I say we head for Bone Village and be there when they arrive."

"The boss says he wants Lockhart by tomorrow. We gotta do something now."

"Like what?"

"How the hell should I know?"

I glanced up at the tail end of the helicopter, just above me. There was above six inches of space between the tail blade mechanism and the top of the rock I was hiding behind. If I could just reach it to lop off a couple of those screws…

I raised my head to look over the top of the rock. The three of them were near the front of the chopper. Two were facing the other way while the Tseng look-alike was pacing back and forth. He took three steps away and then three steps back. I unsheathed Apocalypse and waited until he moved away before I reached the tip of my sword up to pop one of the screws. I pulled the sword back down when he was taking his three steps back.

I repeated this four more times. Five out of six screws would do the trick.

"Let's just get in the helicopter and go!"

I snuck back to the ledge and crawled over the side. After three good jumps, I was back on the ground. The sound of the helicopter blades starting reached me. I ran for the narrow cave opening where I left Tifa.

It had taken us three hours this morning to finally find this exit. But luckily I had the good sense to look around before we headed out. Otherwise they would have heard us and the chase would have been on again.

Tifa finally listened to me for a change and stayed seated on Fenrir like I told her. "Did you see anything?" she asked.

I mounted up. "Yeah, they're right above us. I got close enough to hear them but they didn't say much. I was hoping they'd say a name. No luck." I didn't tell her that they had plans to get her by tomorrow. Not if I could help it.

"Couldn't you use your Fire spell on their helicopter?"

"That's not gonna do anything." If I had my Ifrit Summon, the helicopter, the three goons up there and half the mountain would see some serious Hellfire. Fuck, I couldn't believe I was that stupid to leave it back at the school.

The thumping sounds of the helicopter blades echoed into the cave as it flew overhead.

Fenrir was well hidden on the side of the cave opening, but I could still see what was going on outside.

As the helicopter hovered for several minutes, I unsheathed Apocalypse and popped it into battle mode. "Get ready," I said over my shoulder.

"Ready for what?"

"You'll see."

"Cloud, we can't just…"

"Wait for it."

Suddenly there was a loud rattling sound as the rear propeller came loose from its carriage and flew twenty feet away. The helicopter went into a sudden uncontrollable spin and the tail section struck a tree. The rest of it dropped from the air and crashed on the ground.

"Time to go." I started Fenrir and kicked up the brake.

After spinning the rear tire, we shot out of the cave like a rocket.

Sparks were flying all around the helicopter and I could hear its occupants yelling as we flew passed them.

I glanced in the left mirror and saw the helicopter door fall off its hinges. The three Turk imposters jumped out and ran just before the helicopter turned into a fireball.

"Woohoo!" yelled Tifa as she happily drummed her hands on my shoulders and then hugged me around my neck.

The trees soon became scarce and I headed us in an eastern direction.

* * *

Please review. Thanks. By the way, next chapter is 13, the bad luck number. What bad luck could possibly befall Cloud? Hm, wait and see!! (quickly runs out of the room) 


	13. The Look of Love

Author's Note – Okay, I know I'm one day early with this posting, but I just couldn't wait. Heeheehee…

Warning – This chapter contains violence and material of a sexual nature.

**

* * *

Chapter 13 – The Look of Love**

We reached the hidden path leading to the Forgotten Capital just as the sun was starting to go down. If it was any darker, I never would have been able to find it. As I drove Fenrir slowly along the familiar stone path, I glanced around to make sure nothing was going to jump out at us. It was as deathly quiet as the last time I was here.

Tifa leaned toward my ear. "This is amazing," she whispered. "It's so big. I wonder why it's not visible from the air."

"There's a forcefield above us that camouflages it from the air. Even though the Cetra are gone, this place somehow still maintains its magic." What would Tifa think if I told her Aeris was a Cetra, the last existing Ancient left in the world? Only a select few, including Rufus Shinra, knew of her true heritage.

At the fork up ahead, I took the right path. There was a building to the right but I went passed it to another path with another building at the end. I remembered this building having useable beds. I drove Fenrir right through the doorway and pulled to a stop.

Tifa got off and took a couple steps around. "At least it's not so cold here."

I dismounted and went in the storage compartment. After pulling out a flashlight, I walked up to her. "Take this and go up that ladder over there. Don't go anywhere. I'll be right back."

"Where're you going?" she asked worriedly.

"I gotta take a leak and I'm gonna look for something to eat."

She cringed. "Something?"

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna kill anything. Your brother took an expedition team up here once and they might have left things in some of the buildings. Which reminds me…" I pulled out my phone and tossed it to her. "Call him and tell him we're here."

Tifa turned on the flashlight. "Hurry back. It's creepy around here."

I grabbed Apocalypse and sheathed it in my harness as I walked out the doorway.

The sun was completely gone now and the deserted city was in darkness. I was still able to see, thanks to the Mako injections that enhanced my vision. I took the path back to the main one and went left. After searching two of the buildings, I only found an unopened bottle of water. A search of the final building on that path produced a box of crackers and a half-eaten jar of grape jelly.

I headed back to the main path and went straight this time. There were three buildings to search and all I found was a can of peas. That was it for the surface. If I had been by myself I would have gone down to the lower cavern. But I didn't want to leave Tifa alone any longer so I quickly made my way back.

After walking back in the building, I passed Fenrir and went up the ladder on the left. The room at the top was empty. She did it again. I told her to stay up here. "Tifa?" I spun around toward the sound of a creaking door.

Tifa crawled out of a cabinet. "I thought you were one of them."

I was relieved she wasn't wandering around out there somewhere. "Sorry, I'll make more noise next time."

She hopped up on one of the beds, sending a small cloud of dust into the air and placed the flashlight down so we could see. "What'd you find? A nice juicy steak, I hope."

"Not exactly." I sat down on the bed with my back against the wall and dropped my findings between us. "A bottle of water, stale crackers, peas and grape jelly. Not a good combination, but…"

Tifa grabbed the box of crackers and ripped it open.

I watched in surprise as she took a handful of crackers and shoved them into her mouth, followed by a look of pure ecstasy. When you're hungry, I guess it doesn't matter what you're eating. I unscrewed the cap off the bottle of water and took a long gulp from it.

When I handed it to her, she took an even longer gulp. She handed it back and went for the jar of grape jelly. "Where's a spoon when you need one?"

I pulled out my pocket knife and she watched me curiously as I found the right tool to use as a makeshift spoon. When she held a cracker out to me, I scooped some of the grape jelly on it. But instead of eating it, she held it up to my mouth.

I ate it, savoring the stale cracker and the tart grape jelly like it was a lobster tail. But mostly because she had fed it to me. So why was that such a turn on?

We each ate another cracker and for some reason we were staring at each other. Well, I knew why I was staring. Tifa's hair was a wild tangled mess, her face was dirty from the long drive and she couldn't look more beautiful. Even in the near darkness I could tell her cheeks were a little red. Was I staring too long?

"Did you call Rufus?" I asked.

"Yes. Reno and the chopper were hanging at the Bone Village so he should be here around eight."

"Cool. That gives us about an hour to rest."

"He also asked me if it was true about what he read…that me and you are romantically involved."

I raised an eyebrow, hoping she didn't do the opposite of what I would have done and that was to lie through my teeth. "What'd you tell him?"

"I told him not to believe everything he reads in the papers."

"Yeah, that's good."

The staring contest was on again. Suddenly we dropped our crackers and lunged at each other at the same time. Our mouths came together and we exchanged a few hungry kisses. When Tifa dragged herself closer and straddled my lap, I think my brain actually stopped functioning for a few seconds. I was numb until I felt her pressing against my package.

Her fingers were in my hair and her tongue was in my mouth. If it wasn't for the hungry moan she let out, I would have just let her kiss me until she had her fill. But her reaction made it obvious she wanted to fool around. Although I was known to be wrong before on many occasions.

I sucked on her tongue and she retaliated by sucking on my lower lip until it hurt. She moved her hips and I felt myself respond to the pressure. When she did it again…and again…I gritted my teeth. Damn, what was she trying to do, make me blow a load in my pants? I needed to make her stop.

Wait…who said that?

As we tongue-wrestled, I put my hands on her thighs and caressed them slowly. My good intentions went right down the drain. Instead of stilling her movement, my hands wandered elsewhere. My left one went around to her butt and my right one went up under her sweatshirt and tank top.

Tifa pulled away from my mouth and let out another moan when I squeezed her breast. "Cloud…"

Did I dare hope she wanted me to continue? I looked up at her. Her eyes were closed, her lips were parted…she was waiting…But I needed a sign, just to make sure she wanted to head in the direction I thought she did. I tugged on the cup of her bra, pulling it away and slowly slid my thumb over her nipple. She jerked and moaned in response. Hell, that was good enough for me. I wasn't selfish. Who was I to deny what she wanted?

I withdrew my hand and she suddenly looked down at me like I had done something wrong. But when I pushed up the sweatshirt, she raised her arms up for me to take it off. Her hands went to my face and she raised it up to kiss me again before yanking off her tank top. I wanted to remove her bra, but I didn't know if she'd let me.

_Get your shit together, Cloud. Since when are you afraid to give a girl what she wants? Who's in control of the situation here? You are. Stop being a pussy. You're a man, so do it right._

I reached around and fumbled with the back of her bra. But wouldn't you know it, the damned thing was not coming apart. "Mother fucker…"

Tifa started laughing.

I raised my arms up in defeat. "I give up."

She reached behind her back and the bra easily came apart. She slid it down her arms.

I stared like a teenager seeing his first topless woman. I couldn't help it, even though I had seen most of her the other day when we went swimming in the hot spring. Her bra and panties became transparent when they got wet. It was just nice to have them right there in my face.

Tifa leaned down to grab my earlobe in her teeth. "Cloud…touch me again."

I didn't need to be told twice. My hands went up to her breasts and I squeezed and massaged them. She moaned in my ear and started wiggling on my lap again. I touched her nipples and leaned forward to put my mouth over one. It felt so good on my tongue. When I sucked on it, Tifa let out a gasp and a moan and she started grinding harder against me. Oh Gods, I was losing the little control I had left. My game plan had been to do a little touching and that was it. I wanted more. I wanted it all.

I started dry humping her and she wrapped her arms around my neck and was crying out like she was about to climax. She was almost there. Hell, so was I in about five seconds.

…a familiar sound reached my ears over the sounds of Tifa's moaning…

I pulled away. "Shhh, shhh."

"Cloud, what…"

I grabbed her hips to stop her from moving. "Shhh!"

"But I was about to…"

I physically tossed her on the bed and came down on top of her, covering her mouth to keep her quiet. Her eyes widened. It looked bad, I knew it. But I listened for the sound again. There it was…an approaching truck, or rather trucks. "Shit!" I scrambled off Tifa and off the bed.

Tifa sat up angrily. "Are you crazy or something?"

I grabbed her bra and the rest of her clothes and pushed them into her hands. "Get dressed." I rushed over to the window and looked out. Sure enough, there were three trucks coming down the main path. They split up at the fork, each taking one of the paths. In a few seconds they'd be too close for us to get away. I moved away from the window.

Tifa was quickly hooking her bra. "Is somebody coming?"

"Yeah, the bad guys. We gotta go right now. Hurry up."

She slid the sweatshirt on and jumped off the bed, grabbing the flashlight along the way. We scrambled down the ladder and hopped on my motorcycle.

I started Fenrir and made sure the headlamp was off before pulling out of the building. Unfortunately the truck spotted us right away. I left the path and cut through the dirt center, which I imagined used to be a thick, green lawn back when the Cetra were alive. The truck turned and followed.

Just then the other two trucks turned and came straight for us. I changed course to the left, heading south. So much for sticking around the city and waiting for Reno to show up. I looked at my mirror. Now there were three trucks following behind us.

I jumped Fenrir back on the main path and headed out of the Forgotten Capital. Three things were going through my mind. One, how the hell did they find us? Two, how the hell did they find the Forgotten Capital? And three, what the hell did they have under the hood of those trucks, rocket engines? I was going as fast as Fenrir could go, well beyond what the speedometer said…and that was fast. But the trucks were keeping up.

When we left the stone path, we were in the canyon just outside the city. The passage was pretty narrow, which meant the trucks could only move in a single row. But it also meant there was nowhere else for me to go unless I sprouted wings and flew us up the canyon wall.

I unsheathed Apocalypse as we approached a branch protruding from the wall. As we passed it, I sliced it off and sent it flying behind us.

The first truck swerved out of the way. But the second truck wasn't fast enough. The heavy tree branch smashed into the windshield, shattering it completely. Unfortunately it didn't slow them down.

I faced forward again just as we entered the Sleeping Forest.

Almost immediately, one of the trucks came forward and pulled up along side. There were two men inside. The one on the passenger side pulled out a shotgun and aimed it at me.

Tifa screamed. "Cloud!"

As he fired, I raised Apocalypse to deflect the shots, making sure to cover Tifa in case any stray bullets came at her. He kept shooting, one after another.

When I heard the click of an empty chamber, I knew he was out of ammo and needed to reload. I raised my sword and slashed it across the front tire.

The truck careened out of control and plowed into a tree, exploding from the impact.

I looked into the mirror and saw the second truck moving closer. The goon in the passenger seat crawled halfway out the broken windshield and aimed a shotgun. His aim was low. He was going for the rear tire. I swerved just as he fired and the blast hit the dirt, only inches away.

He took aim again and I changed course, heading to the right. The trees were too thick for the trucks, so they kept on the main path, parallel to us. If the white tree cover wasn't so thick further in and ground not so full of slopes, I would have kept going that way to lose them.

A thick fog suddenly rolled in, making it hard to see more than a few feet in front of me. I slowed down, not wanting to smash into any trees.

What worried me even more was that the Sleeping Forest would be ending soon and we'd be back on open ground. An easy target for the bad guys to pick off.

If I could just get to the Bone Village. There were a few places I knew where we could hide out. I'd call Reno and have him pick us up there.

We passed the last tree. There was nothing left to keep the trucks from slamming into the side of us. The fog was thicker now…I could barely see two feet in front of me. Which way was the village? It couldn't be much farther. They wouldn't follow us in. There would be too many people around. Or maybe they wouldn't care and still come after us.

The two remaining trucks pursuing us suddenly began to slow down. Could they be giving up already? Why did I find that hard to believe? Regardless, I sped up for the chance to put as much distance as I could between us.

Just then the fog lifted like a curtain. My eyes widened at what I saw up ahead. "Shiiiiit!!!!" We ran out of ground as a huge chasm spread out in front of us. There wasn't enough time to stop or even turn. I dragged Tifa off with me at the last second as Fenrir continued to fly forward. As we fell, I only had enough time to stab my sword into the cliff face and hold on for dear life with one hand while holding Tifa by the wrist with the other hand.

Tifa screamed.

All I could do was watch in utter dismay as my precious Fenrir fell below, smashing from one protruding ledge to another. When it hit the bottom of the chasm, it exploded in a ball of flames.

In a fit of rage, I let out a cry. "Mother fucking hell!"

"Cloud, I'm slipping!"

Tifa's voice snapped me out of it.

I pulled her up to grab the handle of my sword. "Don't let go," I told her. I pulled myself up on the ledge and dragged my legs over. Then I reached down to pull Tifa up. When she was standing behind me, I reached back down to dislodge Apocalypse from the cliff wall.

As I got up on my feet, two sets of headlights approached and stopped in front of us. I grabbed Tifa and pulled her behind me.

Four doors opened at the same time and four men jumped out. They walked forward to stand together in a line in front of the headlights. Each of them was armed with either a pistol or a shotgun.

"Send the girl over here, Strife and we'll let you walk away," said one of them.

Tifa started to move forward.

I dragged her back behind me. "Where're you going?"

"Cloud, let me go. I don't want them hurting you."

"If I let you go, they'll kill me anyway."

"Come on, Strife! We don't have all night!"

"I'm thinking about it!" I yelled back. "Keep your panties on!"

Tifa grabbed my arm. "Cloud, you can't fight all four of them," she whispered. "They have guns."

"I'm not letting them take you, Tifa."

She gave me a worried look.

"Whatever you do, stay down and don't move. Got it?"

She nodded and lowered herself to the ground, lying flat on her stomach.

I turned back to the four goons. "Okay, I thought about it and it ain't gonna happen."

"You'll be sorry!"

"No, I think you'll be sorry you didn't bring more men!" I held Apocalypse up and sprinted forward.

All four open fired on me and as I moved my sword to block the incoming shots, the men scattered, running for their trucks.

I reached the first one and when he turned to shoot at me, I sliced off his arm and then Cross-Slashed his chest. He went down in my path and I jumped over him.

When I reached the second man, he turned and fired at my head. I raised my sword at the last second. The shot deflected off the metal and bounced back, hitting him in the throat. He made a gurgling sound on the way down.

The third guy almost made it into the truck. I swung and detached his legs so he couldn't move anymore. He fell back on the ground with a blood-curdling scream. _Have fun bleeding to death, fucker!_

I ran around to the other truck, where the fourth guy was in the driver's seat and getting ready to back away. I jumped up on the bumper and then up on the hood. He fired his shotgun, shattering the windshield. His gun went off again, but not before I sent his head rolling into the back seat.

I hopped off the hood of the truck and started walking back toward Tifa.

Hm, something didn't feel right. Why was I feeling so numb all of a sudden? I turned around to face the headlights and looked down at myself. I touched my chest and looked at my hand. Blood. There was blood all over me…But was it mine or the men I just killed? I turned back to Tifa and laughed a little. "Check it out…I'm bleeding."

She was slowly getting up on her feet. "Cloud?"

My legs went completely numb and I fell to my knees.

"Cloud!"

Tifa caught me as I fell forward.

"Oh no!" she yelled.

I felt myself being lowered to the ground. Something was jiggling in my pocket, but then I couldn't feel anything anymore.

"Rufus, it's Tifa. Where's Reno?"

Tifa must have taken my phone. She was talking to Rufus.

I looked up at the stars. They seemed so close.

"Please tell him to hurry up. Cloud's shot up pretty bad. He's bleeding all over."

Huh? Did she just say I was shot?

Everything was getting blurry and I found it hard to breathe. I felt something warm against my face. It was Tifa. Why was she crying? Her face started to fade.

"Please stay with me…Cloud…"

Then even the stars faded away.

_

* * *

Don't bomb my house cuz I'm heading for the hills…runs away real fast!_

_Please review. Thanks._


	14. With Each Breath

Author's Note – Sorry for leaving that HORRIBLE cliffhanger in the last chapter. But you'll forgive me after you read this one.

Warning – This chapter contains sexual content.

Disclaimer – Haven't posted one in awhile. Cloud Strife and other characters and locations from _Final Fantasy VII_ and all its extended stories are the property of Square-Enix. Although I wish I could, I make no monetary profit. :o(

**

* * *

Chapter 14 – With Each Breath**

I could hear voices, but I wasn't sure if it was real or if it was just a dream. It had to be a dream because I couldn't open my eyes. They felt like they were glued shut.

"Get his mouth open!"

"How?"

"I don't know, just do it! He's gotta drink this or he'll bleed to death!"

I felt so hot…Why was it so hot? And why couldn't I breathe?

Something touched my face, forcing my mouth open. Then a hot liquid sloshed down my throat. I gagged and coughed, suddenly feeling an intense pain in my chest and left side. I moaned from the throbbing pain. The liquid was poured down my throat again. I tried to swallow it and coughed again.

"Shit! The one on this side of his chest is bleeding like a river. Keep your hand down on it real hard. Don't let up on the pressure."

"He's not breathing right."

"Bullet probably hit his lung. Just keep pressure on that one and make sure he doesn't move around. I gotta get us out of here."

I was pretty sure it was Reno and Tifa. They both sounded alittle panicked. I wanted to know what was going on?

What was Reno doing with Tifa anyway? Was he trying to steal my other girl now? I clenched my teeth and struggled. I couldn't move and I couldn't open my eyes. All I could do was moan and gasp for air.

Then I remembered it was just a dream and I stopped struggling.

* * *

"There's three in his chest, two in his left arm and two in his left thigh." Sounded like Vincent.

"I'm surprised he was still breathing when I got there. The bastard's lucky." Was that Reno again? He sighed heavily and still sounded panicked.

"It's okay, Reno. You did the best you could. The rest is up to him now."

* * *

"I said I want to see him, Rude."

"He's not awake, Tifa."

"I just want…"

I heard some sounds of struggling.

"Oh my Gods…"

"We had to take the bullets out. The ones in his chest were lodged pretty deep in his rib cage. And there was one in his lung."

"Why are those wounds still open like that?"

"The Hi-potion has to work from the inside out. It takes a few days and several applications."

There were all kinds of sounds around me. Bleeping and hissing. The sounds of machines.

Something soft brushed against my forehead.

"Please hang in there, Cloud." She pressed another soft kiss on me.

I wanted to move my head, to increase the gentle pressure of her lips.

Was I still dreaming?

* * *

"Can he hear us?"

"I don't think so."

"How long is he going to sleep?"

"As long as he needs."

I recognized the voices. Aeris and Rude.

_

* * *

SOLDIERs are like monsters._

_Mercenaries, Cloud. That's what you an' me are gonna be._

_We're friends, right?_

I woke with a start and sat up, immediately pressing a hand to the painful pressure on my chest.

Zack again.

When was I ever going to get over the guilt? Even if I had been able to stand with him last year to fight the Shinra army…I probably would have died that day, too. And maybe I should have.

_Who would have defeated Sephiroth twice after that, Cloud?_

My eyes came up and wandered around the room. Where was I?

There was an IV attached to my right hand, administering clear fluid into my veins. I also noticed I was hooked up to a heart monitor. Right beside it was some kind of breathing machine, but the mask was resting on a hook against the side of it. It wasn't turned on.

I was in some kind of medical ward, which immediately brought back bad memories of being in Professor Hojo's custody. Pain…tears…despair. I cradled my head in my hands. I'd give anything to forget it.

_Suck it up like a real man, Cloud. _

Everything suddenly came back to me. The Forgotten Capital, the trucks chasing me and Tifa, Fenrir exploding at the bottom of a chasm. I had taken a few hits from some shotgun shells.

I pushed aside the sheet and opened the white medical shirt to look at my chest. I could see three healing scars. There were two more on my left arm. Someone must have used a healing potion on me. So if I wasn't dead, then what was I doing here?

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and got up. Then I remembered I was still hooked up to an IV. I turned the valve to shut off the flow and held my breath as I pulled the needle out of the back of my hand. "Fuck…" It stung like hell. I reached for some kleenex and pressed it against the bleeding puncture before looking around.

Where were my clothes? All I had on were white scrubs.

Sunlight poured into the room from a large window. I walked over to it and looked out, immediately recognizing the surrounding hills. This was Healin. I was a little relieved to know I wasn't in some hospital with people I didn't know taking care of me.

I walked to the door and pulled it open. As I stepped out into the corridor in my bare feet, I saw Aeris sitting on a couch, flipping through a magazine.

She lifted her face and her eyes lit up when she saw me. "Cloud." She immediately got up and rushed over to hug me. "You're okay."

I grunted in pain and she quickly released me. "Aeris, what're you doing here?"

"It's my turn to keep watch. We've all been taking turns."

"Keeping watch on what?"

"Until you woke up."

"How long have I been out?"

"Just a couple days…four to be exact."

FOUR days?!! Man, I'd never get those back. "Why was I out so long?"

"It took them awhile to get all the bullets out. And…and then they had to keep resuscitating you. You're lucky to be alive."

I frowned and shrugged. "I've cheated death too many times to count. One more isn't going to make a difference."

"Reno told me I had to close the tavern. It's for my own protection."

"Whatta you mean? Protection from what?"

"I took Denzel to the dentist the other day. When we got back, I found the front door broken. I think they came looking for you."

"I'm sorry, Aeris." I hated to see her dragged into this mess.

"It's not your fault, Cloud."

"Yeah, it's all Shinra's fault. He obviously pissed off the wrong people."

"Rufus has actually been pretty nice lately. He set up one of the apartments here at Healin for me, Denzel, Marlene…and you."

Just like the perfect family…without Reno. Maybe a couple weeks ago I would have been fine with it. Now it seemed like a clock missing a critical piece. Tifa.

"Where's Tifa?" I asked.

"Tifa?" Why did she seem surprised that I'd ask about her? "She's with Rufus."

"I need to see her."

"She's all right, Cloud. She's safe here, so you don't have to worry about protecting her any longer."

Was she trying to tell me I couldn't even see Tifa? "Where're my clothes? I need to get out of here."

"You can't leave the medical ward just yet."

"Why not?"

"You have one more Hi-potion session. Rude should be here in another hour to administer it."

"Rude? You're joking."

"He's done a pretty good job so far. Don't you agree?"

I started walking back to the room I woke up in, but looked briefly over my shoulder. "He better be here soon cuz I don't plan to stay long." I was feeling hot again so I tore off the white shirt and tossed it on the floor.

"I'll let the others know you're awake," she called out after me.

* * *

Where the hell was Rude? Aeris said he'd be here an hour ago. What could he be doing that was more important than giving me my last Hi-potion treatment so I could get the hell out of this infirmary.

I hated anything to do with hospitals or medical wards. I hated the disinfected smell of them…

There was a light knock on the door.

I hopped off the bed. "It's about fucking time, Rude…"

The door opened but it wasn't Rude.

"Cloud!" It was Tifa. She ran up and threw her arms around me.

I hugged her tightly, not caring that my chest and my left arm were on fire. She was crying. I could feel her tears on my bare shoulder. "Hey, it's okay."

She drew back a little and traced her fingers over the three scars on my chest. "I didn't think you were going to make it. You lost so much blood."

I loved feeling her hands on my chest. I reached up and wiped at her tears with my thumbs and pushed her chin up. "I'm okay." I kissed her cheek and she tilted her head to kiss my mouth. There was a bit of desperation in that kiss. Had I really almost died?

"I'm so scared, Cloud," she whispered against my lips.

"Why? You're safe here."

"I don't feel safe anywhere except with you."

I pulled away and took her hand to lead her to the window. I stood behind her and pointed. "See there…and there…and there? Those are Shinra guards. They're surrounding this place, hundreds of them. No one will ever get through." I slid my arms around her shoulders from behind.

She placed her hands on my forearms. "All I care about is that you're here."

I bent to her ear. "Yes, I'm right here." I kissed the side of her neck in different places. Gods, she always smelled so good. I ran my tongue along her neck and up behind her ear.

"Mmm…"

I loved making her moan. "You like that?"

Tifa opened my arms and took my hands, pressing them over her breasts. "I like this even better."

This was one of the reasons I loved this girl. She wasn't afraid to tell me what she wanted. As I squeezed her perfect melons, she leaned back into me and I nibbled on her ear. "What else, Tifa?" I asked, hoping she'd let me do more.

"Touch me everywhere."

"Where?" I slid my right hand down to her bare midriff and caressed her skin. "Here?"

"Lower."

"Here?" I asked in a deeper voice.

She giggled and I smiled against the side of her neck, loving the sound of it.

I moved my hand down inside the front of her khaki pants. Luckily they were pretty loose and I had plenty of room. I felt along the hem of her panties, tracing my fingers over the stitched day of the week. Hmm, felt like Saturday. My fingers drifted further down to the crease between her legs. "How about here?"

"Perfect."

Not perfect enough for me, though. I slid my fingers inside her panties and touched her bare flesh. Now it was perfect.

She let out a soft moan and pulled her legs further apart as she turned her face toward me.

As I brought my lips to hers and kissed her slowly, she opened her mouth with another moan. I stroked her tongue with mine, matching the movement of my fingers. I visualized and memorized every little detail as I touched her lightly. My pecker was getting hard and I was pretty sure she could feel it pressing against her butt.

She must have been reading my mind. Her hand came back between us and she started massaging me through the white scrubs. Holy Ramah…she was wet and I was rock hard.

I groaned against her mouth and rubbed circles around her, pressing a little harder with my fingers, moving a little faster. My hips moved on their own, seeking more contact with her hand. I wanted her to squeeze harder and she did. I slid my fingers further down and slowly entered her opening.

If it wasn't for the sound of heavy footsteps approaching the door, I would have flipped her around and sat her on the window ledge so I could go down on her.

This was the second time we were interrupted mere seconds before either of us could reach completion. It was getting on my last nerve.

Tifa and I pulled apart just as Rude pushed the door open. I turned to face the window because I needed to quickly deflate my erection.

"Oh, you're up," said Rude.

Yeah, in more ways than one, I thought to myself. I looked at Tifa and she was trying not to laugh.

"I need you on the bed, Strife," he said, not aware of what had been going on between me and Tifa only seconds ago.

"I'm not that kind of guy, Rude…not on the first date."

He didn't look amused.

Well, that did the trick. His stoic expression behind his stupid dark sunglasses helped get rid of my hard on. I went to the bed and hopped up on it.

As he pulled several vials of Hi-potion out of a leather bag, he glanced toward Tifa. "You'll have to leave, Miss Tifa."

I reclined on the bed. "It's okay. She can stay."

"Suit yourself. Take off those pants."

I slid the white scrubs off, leaving me in white boxers. That's when I noticed I had two scars on my left thigh. Damn, they shot me up good. As he started treating the scars with the Hi-potion, I turned my head to look at Tifa.

She crossed her arms over her chest and smiled.

I reached up and rubbed my fingers over my nostrils, pretending to be scratching my nose when in fact I was getting a little whiff of Tifa No. 5. As I smiled back, her smile faded and her cheeks turned bright red when she realized what I was doing. Damn… I pulled my hand away because her scent was giving me another stiffy. My head shot back to face Rude. "Hey, watch what you're doing, man!" The big jerk off was poking my nuts with his elbow.

Tifa spit out a laugh and headed for the door. "I'll see you later, Cloud."

Why did Rude always wear sunglasses? What was he hiding behind them? "Touch me again like that and I'll shove your sunglasses down your throat."

* * *

After Rude was done violating me in every way possible, I found my way to my temporary quarters. It wasn't bad. A two-story apartment with a kitchen, den and a half bath on the first floor and three bedrooms and a full bathroom on the second floor. I never realized Healin had such luxurious habitats.

They had moved my things from home and I dressed in clean jeans and a sweatshirt. My chest and left arm still ached a little, but I knew it would soon pass.

I found Marlene and Denzel in the den, watching cartoons on TV.

When I sat down between them, Marlene came up and cuddled against my chest like she always did back home. "I missed you, Cloud. You were gone so long."

I bent to place a kiss on the top of her head and she hugged me tighter. It was a good thing Marlene didn't know the truth about what happened to me or she would have cried for days on end.

Denzel must have felt left out because he came and hugged me from the other side. Except I didn't kiss him, I rubbed my hand over his mop of hair, messing it more than it already was.

Damn, I really loved these little rugrats sometimes.

"Did you buy a present, Cloud?" Marlene asked.

"Hm? A present for what?"

She looked up at me like I was dense. "For Tifa."

"For Tifa?" I was still confused.

Denzel chimed in. "Uncle Rufus said we're having a birthday party for Tifa right after dinner."

Birthday party for Tifa? Was it May third already? Dammit, I forgot I lost four days of my life. I needed to go out and get something for Tifa. But what?

Wait a minute…Uncle Rufus? Since when did Shinra become _Uncle_ Rufus?

I got up from the couch and went into the kitchen where Aeris was sitting at the table drinking a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. "Hi, Cloud," she said without looking up.

"Who the hell told Marlene and Denzel to call Shinra Uncle Rufus?" I sat in the chair at the head of the table, which was where I usually sat back home.

She put the paper down and looked up at me. "Well, I had to say something. I couldn't tell them we left home because the bad guys wanted to hurt us. I told them Rufus was your cousin and he invited us to stay with him for a little while."

"My cousin?" I groaned.

"Yes. You're both blonde. It makes perfect sense."

In my sick head I was thinking about Tifa…and if me and Shinra were cousins, then that meant Tifa and I were too. "Dammit, Aeris, why'd you have to tell them we're related?"

"Rufus thought it was a good idea. Why're you so against?"

Because I didn't want Tifa to be my cousin, that's what I was thinking in my head, while something else came out of my mouth. "Because it gives me the willies. I don't wanna be related to that jerk."

Aeris smiled. "Oh, Cloud. Rufus is actually not so bad. I got a chance to really talk to him and he's very sweet and kind and generous."

I gave her a suspicious look, wondering if she was going to try to make a move on Shinra now. Whatever happened to Reno? Did she get tired of him already? I got up and started to walk out.

"Oh, I forgot…" she said.

I stopped and turned back to her.

"I talked to Rufus a little while ago and he asked if Tifa could stay here with us. She's staying with him in his apartment, but there's never anyone there for her to talk to."

Stay here with us? What an excellent idea…I was envisioning having Tifa curled up in my nice queen-sized bed upstairs every night. "Yeah, that sounds great."

"My bed's big enough for both me and her," Aeris went on to say. "So she can sleep in my room."

Well, so much for my vision. "Whatever." I walked out of the kitchen.

* * *

I had never wandered through Healin before and found quite a few amenities, including a billiard room with six tables and a fully-stocked bar, a well-stocked arcade, a well-equipped gym, a full-sized indoor swimming pool and lots and lots of apartments. It was really like a complete community.

The Shinra guards that didn't have their own families were staying in Healin, so there seemed to always be people walking around the halls. They obviously knew me because I was getting smiles or head nods.

I found who I was looking for in the billiard room, sitting at the bar, having a drink. I must have caught him early because he didn't look crocked yet.

"Hey, Cloud, how's life treating you?" Reno drawled as I sat down in the barstool next to him.

"Can't complain." I flagged down the bartender. "Beer."

"You're actually gonna drink here with me?" Reno asked in surprise.

I waited for my beer and took a swig from the bottle before turning to Reno. "Okay, look, I know I've been a real pain in the ass lately…"

"Hm…that's an understatement."

Why did he have to spoil my mood? "Are you gonna shut up and listen?"

"Yeah, yeah, go ahead."

Why did I find it so hard to say what I needed to say to him? Because a year ago we were enemies trying to kill each other. Because he stole Aeris from me. Well, I really didn't care about that anymore. "I heard what you did, Reno. You saved my life." I turned to him. "Thanks, man."

Reno made a funny face. "Don't go getting all soft on me, Spike. You're not my type."

I took another swig from my beer. "So now that we got that bullshit out of the way, I need a favor."

Reno rolled his eyes. "I knew there was a catch."

"No catch. I just need you to take me somewhere in the chopper."

"Where?"

"I have to get Tifa a birthday present."

He looked at his half finished glass of 'something' on the rocks. "Yeah, sure, I guess I have to cart you around since you lost your ride."

"Don't remind me." I frowned and took another long gulp from the bottle. The last thing I wanted to be thinking about right now was the loss of my motorcycle.

* * *

Please review! 


	15. Flaring Frustration

Author's Note –

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and even to those who didn't. I get a lot of hits on each chapter, so I know you're out there. A special thanks to PoutingCutie for her hysterical comments and making me laugh.

Just to clarify your curiosity as to when I'm going to give any hints about the "bad guy" or "bad guys". This story is entirely from Cloud's point of view and he doesn't know who's behind any of the threats so I can't reveal anything yet. Not until he starts getting a clue. But I promise I won't keep you hanging too much longer and you won't be disappointed. I just have a few minor details to get out of the way first.

**

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Chapter 15 – Flaring Frustration**

"So what does she like?"

I turned to Reno. "How the hell should I know?" We were in the two-seater Shinra helicopter, flying over Edge in random circles, not really sure where we wanted to land yet.

"You didn't ask Rufus?"

I rolled my eyes. "He's no help at all. He still thinks Tifa's twelve."

"She looks mighty fine for a twelve year old."

I shot him a warning look, but it went over his head. I had to be careful how I acted when it came to Tifa. The last thing I needed was for Reno or someone else to find out Tifa and I were romantically involved, just like the paper said. It was going to be really hard because I wasn't sure if I could keep my hands to myself when she was around. Especially not after this morning. Damn, we had been so close. Fucking Rude had to spoil it. Eh, maybe it was better this way. Being in a heightened state of arousal all day long? Yeah right, that was a lot better.

"How about a piece of jewelry?"

I needed to pretend my relationship with Tifa was platonic, like Aeris. "Too personal."

"A cookbook?"

"Too impersonal."

"Well then how about a twelve-piece ratchet set?"

I frowned at him. "Oh yeah, she needs tools like a hole in the head."

"Lingerie?"

"I can't give her lingerie."

"Why not?"

"You just don't, Reno."

"Guess I'll have to exchange my gift for something else."

"You got Tifa lingerie?"

"I thought all women like getting underwear."

"Yeah, if you were her boyfriend or husband. What the fuck is the matter with you? Were you in the wrong line when they handed out brains, you stupid dick?" He was really putting me in a bad mood.

He snapped his fingers. "I got it. Get her a hat."

I slapped my forehead with a groan. "I should have gone to Elena for help."

* * *

Apparently while I was sleeping off my injuries for the last four days, everyone who didn't know Tifa had met her and took an instant liking to her. So now everyone came to celebrate her birthday. Barret, Cid and his wife Shera, Vincent, Yuffie, Reeve with his mechanical cat, Cait Sith. Reno, Rude, Elena and Tseng…when I saw Tseng I almost wanted to punch him in the mouth, just because he looked like one of the guys that had been after me and Tifa. But I was pretty sure that would have raised some eyebrows. 

The only one missing was Nanaki. The last time I talked to him, he said he was learning the ways of his ancestors so he could take over running Cosmo Canyon. His grandfather, Bugenhagen, was getting too old for the job. I missed the big red lion bastard or…wolf or…whatever he was.

Aeris was fluttering around like a busy bee, making sure everyone always had a full glass of whatever they were drinking. She really was the perfect hostess. I mean, she decorated the place with streamers and balloons and cooked all the food on the table off to the side. She even made the large cake that said 'Happy 19th Birthday, Tifa' in big pink letters.

Ever since I left the medical ward, I felt like I was starving. I ate everything in sight. Now the snack table was calling my name and I walked over to see what I could munch on. As I grabbed a handful of chips, Cid walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"How the hell are ya, kid?" he asked.

"I'm all right." My free hand automatically went up to my chest, where most of the pain radiated. Rude told me earlier that I might still need to administer some Hi-potion on the scars there.

"Heard what happened to your bike," Cid said solemnly. "Fucking waste, man."

I frowned and nodded. Cid helped me get a lot of the parts I needed when I was building Fenrir. I wouldn't have been able to do it without him.

"Tell ya what, I'll bring over that Hardy Daytona you seemed to like."

I looked up at him in surprise. "You have it? I thought it got destroyed when Diamond Weapon's blast hit Shinra Headquarters." The Hardy Daytona was the motorcycle I found at Shinra headquarters when we were trying to escape from there last year.

"Aeris told me how fond you were of that bike, so I found it still in one piece while you and the others were in Wutai. Took it home. Thought it might come in handy someday." He sniffed and wiped at his nose, trying to act tough. "Well, the piece of shit's yours until you build yourself another one."

"Thanks, Cid."

He squeezed my shoulder again. "By the way, the guys keep telling you, you need to stop bringing a sword to a gunfight."

I smiled. It was an inside joke between the guys in AVALANCHE. Barret had his gun arm and Vincent had his pistols. They made fun of Cid and I because he used a harpoon and I used swords.

"Yeah, so I'll talk to you later, kid." Cid sniffed again and walked away.

It was weird seeing him act so sentimental. I didn't think the hard ass had an ounce of sappiness in him. Everyone seemed to be getting soft in the head lately, including me. We needed to get the AVALANCHE team back together and go hunting for monsters in all the places we knew they hid. Kicking some monster ass would definitely make men out of us again.

At around 8:00, Aeris told everyone to keep quiet because Rufus was bringing Tifa over. A minute later there was a knock on the door. Aeris took a deep breath before opening it.

"Surprise!!" yelled everyone as Tifa walked in, followed by Shinra.

She looked around in a daze and after realizing what was going on, she grinned and started going around hugging everyone.

I watched her chatting briefly with each person. It really made me happy to see her happy.

When she came to me, she looked me over in an almost formal way, like we hadn't shared some rather intimate moments together. "You look good, Cloud. So you're okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Good as new." I pulled her into a friendly hug, but held it a little longer than normal so I could whisper in her ear. "I love you."

As she pulled away, our eyes met and she gave me a reserved smile that spoke a thousand words to me. But when I glanced up and noticed Rufus looking our way, I feigned indifference and walked away to get myself a beer in the kitchen.

Unfortunately Shinra decided to follow me.

I grabbed two beers out of the refrigerator and held one out to him as he came up behind me.

"Thank you," he said as he took it.

I was about to walk around him, but he held a hand up to stop me.

"Cloud, I haven't had a chance to properly thank you for everything you did for Tifa."

"No need to thank me. You paid me, right?"

"Yes, the money is in the account, just like you asked."

I felt sick to my stomach all of a sudden. Did I really care about the money? I mean, it was a lot and it would help pay to have another motorcycle built. But I was more concerned about Tifa. I looked up at him. "It's not all about the money, Rufus. I did it because I care about her."

"So you remember about your friendship with Tifa back in Nibelheim?"

"Yeah, I remember. We were really close, like bestfriends."

"And now?" He seemed to be scrutinizing my face pretty thoroughly. What was he looking for?

"We're still friends."

"Just…friends?"

I frowned at him, hoping my feelings for Tifa weren't so obvious. "Yeah, just friends. What're you implying?"

He shrugged. "Nothing, Cloud. I'm merely satisfying my own curiosity. You told me she was mad at you about something."

"That's right, because she thought I forgot about her. Well, she knows everything now."

He nodded with a small smile. "Good. I'm glad."

I stared at him for a few seconds, wondering what he was hiding? "Are you ever going to tell me what they're really after? If they wanted you dead, they'd have done it by now."

Rufus took a quick swig from his beer and then smiled that untrusting, suspicious little smile. "I did say you were very perceptive."

Before we could continue the conversation, Marlene rushed in and grabbed me by the hand. "Come on, Cloud." She started pulling me. "Tifa's going to blow out the candles."

I let Marlene drag me out of the kitchen.

When we got to the den, Aeris was lighting the nineteen candles and the extra one for good luck. I stood around the table with everyone else.

I thought Tifa looked really stunning in her short blue dress. It reminded me of the day in Nibelheim by the well, before I left town the next day. She wore a blue dress then, too. But she was definitely filling this dress a lot better than back then. Just looking at her sent chills up my spine.

Tifa looked at everyone individually. "This is really great. Honestly. I've spent the last few years celebrating my birthday in school and it wasn't much fun. I look forward to spending time with my new friends…and an old one."

Our eyes met and I had this strange urge to blurt out that I loved this girl, right in front of everyone. But it probably wouldn't have been a good idea. Instead I just gave her my trademark crooked smile. "Who're you calling old?"

Everyone laughed.

Tifa rolled her eyes and then bent to blow out the candles before the wax melted completely into the cake.

Shera took over cutting the cake and passing it around while Marlene dragged Tifa to sit down on the couch and open her presents.

I turned to Reno and he gave me a wink before sneaking out the door.

As Tifa opened each gift, she thanked the individual who gave it to her. When she had gone through everything, she thanked everyone again. But the look of disappointment was too noticeable to miss. She thought I didn't get her anything, which is exactly what I wanted her to think.

I went out the door when Reno seemed to be taking too damned long. Just as I closed the door behind me, Reno came around the corner carrying Tifa's present. It was a three month old kitten, black and white, with big gray eyes. Reno and I had argued for an hour about what to get Tifa until we finally agreed to go to the pet shop. When I saw the little guy, I couldn't resist. I knew Tifa would love him.

"Sorry, it took so long," said Reno. "He clawed my arm and I had to change my shirt."

I took the kitten from Reno and waited for him to open the door. The kitten started cuddling and purring under my chin as I walked back inside the apartment.

Tifa looked up when I walked in. She noticed the kitten in my arm and squealed. She jumped off the couch and practically knocked Barret down to get to me. "Oh, it's so cute."

"He's yours, Tifa," I said with a smile and handed the kitten to her. "I would have gotten you a puppy, but I don't think an apartment is the right place for one."

"Oh, Cloud, I love him." She showered the kitten with kisses, making me wish I was the center of that kind of attention.

"Happy birthday," I said.

"Thank you." She looked up at me as she cuddled the kitten to her chest.

I could tell by the look in her eyes, she wanted to kiss me. She could probably see it in mine, too. I couldn't stand it anymore. I wanted to be kissing her and touching her and telling her I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her.

Everyone was watching us, so I quickly broke the eye contact and bent to kiss her on the cheek. "We bought all the stuff, too. Litter box and kitten food."

Marlene and Denzel rushed over and argued about who could hold him first.

"What're you going to name him?" asked Marlene.

Tifa looked into the kitten's eyes. "I think he wants to be called…Fluffy."

Denzel made a yuck sound. "Not for a boy cat. He needs a cool name, like Raven or Samurai."

Tifa grinned. "I like Samurai." She gave me a brief glance and a smile.

My insides flamed up. I had to walk away. Her suggestive smiles were killing me.

A few times throughout the evening, I tried to get Tifa alone. But someone always rushed over to drag her off and join a conversation somewhere else. I would have taken her upstairs if I didn't think someone would miss the birthday girl's absence.

* * *

Everyone left around 11:30. I thought I could finally have some time alone with Tifa, but Aeris immediately took her by the hand and pulled her away. 

Tifa gave me a longing look over her shoulder as she let Aeris usher her upstairs. Marlene and Denzel tagged behind them, arguing about whose turn it was to hold Samurai.

I watched them disappear up the stairs and then looked around at the mess in the den. If I wasn't so disgruntled over not even getting a chance to kiss Tifa goodnight, I would have been enthusiastic enough to clean up. But I wasn't in the mood so I just went upstairs to my room and closed the door behind me.

After changing into my pajamas, I sat on the edge of the bed and ran my fingers through my hair in frustration. What the hell was I going to do? I wanted Tifa so bad I literally wanted to cry. We'd never have a moment alone here in Healin.

There was a light knock on the door and I jumped up when I heard Tifa whisper my name from the other side. I rushed over and threw the door open.

When she immediately put her arms around me and pressed her lips against mine, I pulled her away from the door and closed it. We kissed each other like we were desperate, which was pretty close to the truth.

But she pulled away too soon. "I only have a few minutes. Aeris is in the bathroom." She reached up to caress my cheek. "I just wanted to say goodnight."

I leaned my forehead against hers, not ready to let go of her just yet. "Goodnight."

"I love you."

"I love you, too." I kissed her again, holding it a little longer before releasing her.

"I love my kitten, Cloud."

"Good, I'm glad."

"I thought you forgot."

"I know you did." I kissed her again. "We'll take Samurai to the vet tomorrow."

"Okay." She smiled. "And then what?"

I didn't really have an agenda planned out. "Well, what else did you wanna do?"

She reached up and squeezed my cheeks together, forcing my lips to pucker up. "I want my real present and you know what I mean."

"We'll see," I mumbled out of my scrunched face before she released it. Man, I was really starting to sound like a clueless bastard. _What the fuck's the matter with you, Cloud? Your girlfriend just propositioned you for sex and all you can say is, 'we'll see'? What kind of a moron are you?_

She looked down between us and tugged on the waistband of my pajamas, pulling them away from my stomach. She bit her lower lip as she tried to look inside. "Hm, not bad."

What kind of game was she playing now? "Whatta you mean not bad?"

"Well, it's definitely bigger than the last time I saw it in Nibelheim."

I frowned at her. Was she talking about my penis? "What last time?"

She looked up with a grin. "I saw your peepee when we were younger."

I folded my arms. "Yeah? And where was this?"

She giggled. "I can't tell you. You'll be embarrassed."

"Try me."

"Okay. You know how we lived next door and our bedroom windows were facing each other?" She looked down and brushed her fingers over my chest, making me shiver alittle. "Well, one morning I happened to look out and there you were in your room, looking at yourself in the mirror and flexing your muscles." She looked up, an evil grin plastered on her face. "And you were naked."

I rolled my eyes, not really remembering exactly when it happened because I used to flex in front of the mirror a lot when I was younger, wishing I wasn't so scrawny and small.

"It was so cute, just dangling there." She held up her pinky. "It was like this big."

My face turned red. Talk about spoiling the moment…and my mood. I opened the door. "Out." She turned to leave with a giggle and I grabbed her wrist, pulling her back to me for one last kiss.

Then she pulled away and rushed down the hall to slip into Aeris's bedroom.

And just in time, too. The bathroom door opened.

I quickly shut my door and sighed heavily at another unfulfilled moment. Sooner or later my luck had to change for the better. I pulled my pajamas away from my stomach and looked down the front of them. "Better show off next time she's around."

_

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Please review! Thanks._


	16. Halfway to Heaven

Author's Note – Love the reviews, as usual. Thanks for the advice, Toons, I'm going with the version you suggested. Also, I've had this discussion with some of you already and thought others should be aware. As you probably guessed, I'm a girl and it's very difficult writing from a guy's point of view, especially when it comes to s.e.x. You might notice Cloud gets alittle rough around the edges sometimes and that's because I don't want him to sound like a girl. So please excuse him if he says inappropriate words or acts inappropriately in "certain" situations. He's young and virile (I hate that word, but I can't think of any other). I'm not basing his actions on anything or anyone in particular, so to any male readers, please don't be offended. And if popular demand didn't ask for "adult" material, I wouldn't be writing any in this fic.

Hope you enjoy this FLUFFY chapter.

Warning – This chapter contains graphic sexual content.

**

* * *

Chapter 16 – Halfway to Heaven**

I woke up at 8:00 the next morning. When I opened my bedroom door, I heard movement downstairs and the smell of freshly-brewed coffee. Someone was cleaning up the mess in the den.

I stumbled my way to the bathroom, yawning and rubbing my eyes. After taking care of some personal business, I went to the sink and started brushing my teeth. It was my morning ritual, even though I planned to go back to bed and sleep for another two hours.

When I came out of the bathroom, I thought about Tifa and went the other way to peek in Aeris's room, hoping to find Tifa still in bed. The bed was empty and unmade. Both of the girls were probably downstairs. Samurai, the kitten, was curled up in a ball on one of the pillows.

As I approached the kids' room, I could hear Denzel snoring the paper off the walls. When I took a peek in the room, I saw Marlene's bed was neatly made, which meant she was also up and about helping Aeris and Tifa.

Time for alittle more beauty sleep. I walked back to my room and closed the door. When I turned around, I was greeted with something totally unexpected.

Tifa was sitting on my bed, on her heels, wearing nothing but a large white teeshirt. She looked both sexy and innocent sitting there like that.

My brain shut down. "I thought you were downstairs."

She got up and walked toward me, pulling off the teeshirt and leaving her in nothing but panties.

I couldn't control the tool between my legs as it reacted to her boldness and unquestionably clear intention. My hand automatically went down to the doorknob and I fumbled to lock the door.

When Tifa reached me, she slid her arms around my neck and hugged me, pressing her bare chest against mine. "I can't stand being away from you anymore, Cloud."

The feeling was undeniably mutual. I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around her. The feel of skin on skin was making me crazy. She was warm and smelled musky, like she just woke up. She started kissing the side of my neck and my knees went weak. I should have stopped her, but I couldn't. I wanted her so badly. I was willing to give up everything to be with her. My work, my home, my freedom. My life. Everything.

What the hell, anyway. She was my girlfriend, wasn't she? Come to think of it, we never really established the whole commitment thing between us. Not really. It was sort of an unspoken commitment. We both knew we wanted to be together. And I was ready for a commitment with her.

Tifa tilted her face up and her eyes were damp with tears. "I love you."

Hearing those three words coming from her lips sent a jolt through me every single time she said it. I'd never get tired of it. But I didn't want her to cry, even though I knew they were probably happy tears.

I joined our lips and kissed her softly. But it wasn't enough for either of us as our mouths moved more eagerly. We were starving for each other, tongues stroking and exploring and tasting. She squeezed her arms tighter around my neck and I lifted her off the floor. Her legs wrapped around my waist and my back hit the door.

I moved over to the right and turned to press Tifa's back against the wall, kissing her harder. Days and days of sexual tension between us and the frustration of being interrupted, I couldn't take it anymore. I wasn't letting her walk out of here without achieving some kind of satisfaction for both of us.

She pulled away from my mouth after a couple minutes and sucked in air through her teeth. Without even realizing it until she made that sound, I found myself humping and grinding between her legs like a rutting dog.

Damn, I wasn't going to waste a good orgasm like this. I loved her too much to cheapen our first time together. I needed to slow down.

I gently pulled away and set her back on her feet.

Tifa's expression immediately changed and she gave me a questioning look. "Cloud…" She probably thought I didn't want to continue.

"Shhh, shhh, it's okay." I kissed her once…twice. "I'm not going anywhere." When I knew she was relaxed again, I reached between us and palmed her bare breasts, squeezing them gently.

She moaned against my lips and shivered.

Oah, the hell with this. It was too much. I just didn't have the patience or the control to do this the long way.

When Tifa started pawing at my pajama bottoms, trying to push them down, I had a feeling she didn't have the patience either. "Cloud…please…"

My groin screamed for me to stop the torture. I was so stiff, it actually hurt. Just two more minutes…I needed to be sure she was ready, even though she was pleading for me to make my move.

When I slid my hand down inside her panties, she let out a constrained moan.

It was music to my ears, but I didn't want her to be too loud and get everyone running upstairs. She was sopping wet and couldn't be anymore ready. In my impatience, I accidentally snapped the elastic of her panties and they came loose in my hand. So much for graceful tact. Her hands worked on my pajamas until they were around my ankles. I kicked them off and picked her up, wrapping her legs around my waist.

As I carried Tifa to my bed, she clung to me tightly, like she was afraid I'd disappear on her. I laid her on top of the sheets, staying with her on the way down. Our mouths never came apart. We continued to kiss passionately. I couldn't get enough of her. I just hoped that in my excitement I didn't suddenly lose it right in the middle.

Tifa's hands slid down my back and gripped my ass so hard, it felt like her nails drew blood.

I took that as my cue to proceed and I didn't waste anymore time. I slowly slid into her. Oh my Gods, she was tight. I looked down at her flushed face. She was biting her lower lip. I was hurting her…damn.

This meant two things: one, Tifa had never been with anyone before and two, we hadn't done anything that drunken night in the bathtub. I was so relieved on both counts, yet I suddenly felt a little uneasy about the way we were going about it. Rushed and fanatical. I imagined my first time with Tifa would have been a quiet dinner alone, maybe dancing to some soft music, working our way into the bedroom, undressing each other slowly, spending hours on foreplay…before going in for the final blowout.

I was confident she wanted this just as much as I did or she would have already put a halt to it. I gave her every opportunity to say no and I would stop if she asked me to. I wouldn't be too happy about it, but I'd stop.

Her tight walls were squeezing me so hard I thought I was going to pass out. She was tensed up like a vice and holding her breath when I reached my capacity inside her.

"Relax, Tifa…breathe."

She let out a burst of air from her lungs and breathed several quick breaths. She laughed alittle then.

I could feel her start to relax and the death grip on my cock began to loosen a bit. "That's it." I kissed her smiling lips and slowly pulled out. When I slid back in, I found it a little easier this time.

Tifa continued to breathe easily now as I rocked my hips against her, moving in and out in a slow rhythm..

It felt incredible and I wasn't going to last much longer. It'd been a long time since I had gone this far with any woman. My insides were celebrating in the best way possible and couldn't wait to reach the high point. Especially after two days of full-blown stimulation without reaching the final release. But I didn't want to hurt her again…so I went painstakingly slow. This was her first time and even though we were rushing through it, I still wanted her to at least feel the full effect. Hopefully we'd have opportunities to fully explore each other later.

She started arching upward, meeting my slow thrusts and her breathless moans became more ragged. The cringe on her face slackened and her cheeks were really flushed.

I wanted to ask her if it still hurt, but I didn't trust my own voice just yet. I tested her, driving just a little harder and faster. But that only served to get me closer to blowing my load.

_Come on,_ I thought to myself. _Hold on, man. Just a few more seconds. Wait for her. She's almost there. Afterall, this is for her, not for you. Don't be a selfish prick._

I was sweating and breathing hard through my clenched teeth…holding…holding…

Tifa suddenly let out a loud cry.

I panicked and covered her mouth with mine, just to keep her quiet. Her inner walls convulsed around me as she climaxed and it nearly sent me right over the edge. Wait…wait…where the hell were those condoms when I needed them?

The second she heaved a sigh of relief, I immediately pulled out of her and let loose between our pressed bodies. I buried my face against the side of her neck to muffle the noise coming out of my own mouth. Gods, it felt good.

She clung to me tightly as I rocked against her, riding out the last few seconds of my climax. When it was over, I pressed my sweaty face against the side of hers, breathing her in until everything slowed back down to normal.

I slowly rolled off of her and she turned on her side to face me. I was afraid she'd be upset or start crying…I imagined some girls got emotional about losing their virginity. It just went too damned fast. Both of us had been too excited and too wound up. I felt bad that her first time turned out like this.

But Tifa didn't look distressed at all, though. In fact she was smiling. And then she let out a giggle.

"What's so funny?"

"Finally."

"Finally?"

"Yes, finally. Ever since I was little and found out about sex…I always wanted my first time to be with you."

I gave her a crooked smile and decided to tease her. "That is so mushy, Tifa. Typical of what a girl would say."

She giggled again. "And my dream came true."

"Man, I'm gonna throw up."

She kept giggling.

In truth, I didn't know if what she said made me feel good or not. Did I take it as a compliment that she had always wanted me to be the first? Or was I now the creep who ruined her chance for the perfect wedding night?

WHAT?? Why the hell was I even thinking that? I didn't want Tifa to be with anyone else. No way. I would be her one and only. But that only made me feel bad that I didn't wait for her. My first time had been quick and senseless. I didn't even remember her name.

"What're you thinking about, Cloud?'

My eyes drifted down to her smiling face and I returned her smile. "I was thinking about how much I wanna do that again." I cupped her cheek. "Just give me a minute and I'll be ready for another round." I kissed her.

She responded with a little grunt when I touched her further down.

That reminded me of the discomfort she had felt. "I'm sorry if I hurt you."

"You didn't hurt me." She gave me a frown. "What about you? You looked like you were in pain."

I smiled. "No, it didn't hurt at all. It felt great."

"You know, this is the only birthday present I really wanted."

"So I should take Samurai back to the pet shop?" I teased.

"Don't you dare."

Just then there was a knock on the door and I nearly jumped off the bed when the doorknob rattled.

"Cloud? Why is the door locked?" It was Aeris.

Because I was making love to Tifa for the first time, that's why, and we needed some privacy. Go away. "Uh…I…I must have bumped the lock by accident." I slid off the bed and quickly went to retrieve my pajama bottoms.

"Have you seen Tifa? She was still asleep when I left her in my room and now she's gone."

"I'm in here, Aeris."

No! I could have strangled Tifa for opening up her mouth. "We're just talking," I quickly added as I slid into my pajamas and grabbed Tifa's teeshirt off the floor.

When I tossed it to her, she quickly slipped it on.

"Well, breakfast is ready," Aeris continued. "So, come downstairs now."

"Okay, be there in a minute." I sighed in relief when she was gone, but I waited another minute before unlocking the door and opening it. As Tifa walked passed me with a silly grin on her face, I reached down and smacked her in the ass.

That got rid of her smile as she turned and gave me a dirty look. Then she bumped into the wall and tripped on her own feet.

I snickered at her clumsiness and then noticed something on the floor. Her panties, the ones I had torn off. I picked them up and turned back to the doorway. "Tifa."

She turned back around and I tossed the panties to her.

After she was gone, I dug in a drawer for the pajama top that matched the bottoms and buttoned it on my way out and down the stairs.

When I passed the den I noticed it was tidy again, everything back in its place. I walked into the kitchen, following the scent of coffee.

Aeris was sitting at the kitchen table with Denzel and Marlene sitting side by side on the opposite side of her.

After exchanging the typical morning greetings, I took my usual place at the head of the table and reached to fill my plate with scrambled eggs, bacon and toast.

Marlene started laughing at me.

"What're you laughing at, Squirt?"

"Your pajamas are buttoned wrong."

I looked down at myself and noticed I was one button off. "Shut up and eat your food or it's mine."

"Cloud!" scolded Aeris.

"What, I'm just joking."

Marlene continued to giggle so I reached under the table and tickled her leg. She squealed and tried to get away from my hand.

A couple minutes later Tifa walked into the kitchen, wearing the big teeshirt she had on earlier and the addition of pajama bottoms. "'Morning, everyone."

Everyone replied their greeting to her.

I watched her take a seat at the other end of the table, wishing she had put on a bra because I could see her nipples right through the teeshirt. Our eyes met and when she gave me a small smile, I couldn't help but smile back at her. Her cheeks quickly turned a pretty pink and she looked away to fill her plate.

From the corner of my eye, I noticed Aeris looking first at Tifa and then at me. I quickly looked down at my plate to stab a slice of bacon.

"Cloud, can you please pass the milk?" asked Tifa.

My eyes bounced back up to her and I noticed she was still blushing. I smiled again as I handed the milk to Marlene, who handed it to Denzel, who handed it to Tifa.

"Thank you," said Tifa.

Aeris was looking at me again. What now? Did I have a booger on my face or something?

It was too damned quiet. Nobody was talking. What the hell was the matter with everyone? Usually Aeris was talking up a storm about everything. Maybe she was quiet because Tifa was around.

I glanced up at Tifa. She shoved a forkful of eggs into her mouth and when her eyes met mine, she quickly looked away again, unable to suppress her smile. When I looked at Marlene, she was giving me a funny look, so I crossed my eyes and made her giggle.

"Cloud, do you wanna play some video games?" asked Denzel, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah, sure. Later."

For the next few minutes we continued to eat in silence. I couldn't help myself, every few seconds I'd casually look up from my plate and my eyes would wander over to Tifa. Tifa's eyes were wandering, too. We kept looking at each other, probably glowing from the aftereffects of some good sex. I know I was. But our little glances were becoming too obvious, at least to Aeris and Aeris was no dummy.

When Marlene and Denzel were done eating alittle while later, they asked to be excused and ran off when Aeris gave them permission.

I looked over at Tifa. "Don't forget, Tifa, Samurai has to go to the vet. Reno's taking us in the chopper in a half hour."

"I better go get ready then." She pushed away from the table. "Thanks for breakfast, Aeris, and all the work you did for my birthday party yesterday."

"It was no problem," replied Aeris with a smile.

My eyes followed Tifa as she got up and walked out of the kitchen. Her butt looked so damned good in those pajama bottoms. Wait a minute…those were my pajamas. Uh oh, Aeris was looking at me again and probably noticed my eyes on Tifa's butt. I tried to hide it by grabbing another piece of toast and taking a bite.

"Oh my Gods," Aeris suddenly gasped out. "You had sex with her, didn't you?"

I choked on the toast.

"That's what you two were doing up there before you came down."

I coughed until I got the toast particles out of my windpipe. "No…we were just…talking."

"How could you, Cloud? You're supposed to be protecting her, not fucking her."

"Hey! I'm not _fucking_ her." Her comment really struck a nerve. I loved Tifa. I wasn't just using her for sex…not entirely. "It's not like that."

"Then explain to me what you think you're doing?"

"Tifa and I grew up together in Nibelheim."

She angrily folded her arms. "Yes, I had to find that out by reading it in the papers, but go on."

"Remember I said I couldn't remember things. Well, I got some of those lost memories back. I was head over heels in love with her back then. And…I'm…I'm still in love with her."

Aeris suddenly looked like I had just told her I was dying from some terminal disease. "Oh." She unfolded her arms and placed her hands on top of the table. "I see."

I wasn't sure what was going through her mind and I wasn't sure if I even wanted to know.

When she looked back up at me, there were tears in her eyes. "I thought…" She looked back down and covered her face with her hands.

Oh, what the fuck…? I didn't think she'd burst into tears. She cried for almost a minute, even though it seemed like the longest minute in history, and I just sat there, not knowing what to say or do. But I had to say something before Tifa came back down and got the wrong idea. "Aeris, whatever I did, I'm sorry."

She removed her hands and looked at me with tear-filled eyes. "You're sorry?"

"Well, I don't even know what I did."

"You made me think you just needed some time to get your head together…that you'd eventually get it all out of your system and then settle down with me. ME!"

I stared at her with my mouth open. Dammit, why was everything so fucking complicated in my life? This was the last thing I expected to hear from Aeris. I thought she just wanted to be friends. "Aeris, I wasn't trying to give you that impression. I never said anything about settling down with anybody."

"I thought you loved me."

"I do." I looked down with a confused frown. "But not like that." The truth was that if Rufus had never sent me to protect Tifa, I might not ever have regained my memories of her. That meant I would have blindly gone anywhere with Aeris. Maybe I _had_ given Aeris the impression I wanted to spend my life with her. But I knew now whatever I felt for her wasn't love at all. "What about Reno? I thought you and him…"

"Reno isn't permanent, Cloud."

Oh boy. I actually felt sorry for the guy. He confessed to me about really falling for Aeris. I considered the idea of telling him what she just told me. But I quickly shot it down. It wasn't my problem. They needed to work it out themselves.

"I don't know what to say, Aeris. I wish things could be different, but I really love Tifa."

Aeris wiped her eyes and reached across the table to place her hand over mine. "Cloud, all I've ever wanted was to see you happy."

I looked up at her. "I am happy. Ever since I came to Midgar after Zack died, I felt as if I was searching for some missing piece of my life. I'm pretty sure I've found it." I didn't think I needed to elaborate that it was Tifa I had been missing all along.

"I'm glad for you then," she said sadly.

I could tell she was still upset, but I didn't know what I could do to make it right with her. I couldn't return her feelings, which seemed wrong because only two weeks ago I had been pining for her to love me. Now I wished she didn't feel this way.

Way to go, Cloud. Making two girls cry within the span of a week. I really didn't need this shit. I had enough problems.

Well, one thing I was sure about, it couldn't possibly get any worse, right?

_

* * *

Please review! Thanks._

_FYI, I'm going out of town this weekend and won't have access to the internet so I'll be late in replying to your reviews. If I get a chance tomorrow morning before we go, I might post the next chapter._


	17. Pandora's Box

Author's Warning - This chapter contains explicit sexual content.

* * *

**Chapter 17 – Pandora's Box**

Tifa didn't wait for me. She was already on the chopper when I came out of the doors leading to the helicopter pad. I had hoped to steal a kiss or two before we had to leave. But she ruined that chance when I discovered she had left the apartment while I was taking a shower. What the hell was she thinking? Any minute we had alone was extremely valuable.

As I hopped into the chopper, I noticed this one had more passenger seats in the cockpit. Tifa was sitting in the back row, holding the kitten wrapped in a towel on her lap. I tried to get her attention but she wasn't looking at me. In fact it looked like she was purposely avoiding it.

Now what did I do?

Reno lifted the chopper into the air and we were on our way.

It only took seven minutes to get to the city. Reno landed the chopper on the roof of a nearby building.

I hopped out and waited for Tifa to get out. After harnessing Apocalypse, I leaned back into the chopper. "We should be done in about a half hour."

Reno saluted. "I ain't going anywhere."

I turned around and found Tifa already heading for the door. "Tifa, wait!" She just never learned. I ran after her.

When I went through the door, she was skipping down the stairs like she was in a hurry.

I jumped down each flight until I caught up to her and grabbed her by the arm. "Hey! Will you slow down? What's the rush?"

Tifa whirled on me and yanked her arm out of my hand. "You make me sick!" She looked furious as she turned and continued down the stairs.

I had seen her this pissed before and I knew talking to her when she was like this was a losing battle. As I rushed to follow her down the twenty flights of stairs, I rewound the last two hours. I woke up, had sex with Tifa, ate breakfast, made Aeris cry, took a shower and got in the chopper. So where did I go wrong with Tifa in between any of that?

It couldn't be she was mad at me because I deflowered her…Gods, I hated that word. She smiled and giggled and was so happy when she left my room this morning. She seemed happy at breakfast, when we kept sneaking peaks at each other like two teenagers who didn't want to get caught by their parents for doing something bad. What could I have done wrong after that? I didn't even see her until I got in the chopper.

I sure hoped she suddenly did regret what we did? But she said I made her sick…wasn't that alittle harsh? I mean, she had been a willing participant. I didn't force her.

In the vet's office, Tifa filled out the paperwork as I stood next to her, holding Samurai. Then she took the kitten from me and went to sit down in the waiting area. An elderly lady was sitting in one of the chairs, holding a small white dog on her lap.

I unsheathed my sword so it wouldn't get in the way as I sat down next to Tifa. She immediately slid over one more seat so there was an empty seat between us. I slid into the empty seat and she moved over again. She wanted to play games? Fine with me. I slid over next to her again and again she moved over a seat. From the corner of my eye, I noticed the lady watching us, probably thinking we were strange. It went on three more times until Tifa ran out of seats.

Ha! Now she had nowhere to go.

Tifa got up and moved to the other side, sitting two seats away from the lady and her dog. She was giving me a dirty look, daring me to come and sit next to her.

I placed my sword across the seats next to me and folded my arms. Fine. If she didn't want to sit next to me, then I didn't want to sit next to her. I couldn't figure her out. Why did she always have to be so difficult?

A young woman came out of a door and called out a name. The lady with the dog quickly got up and practically ran through the door. She obviously wanted to get away from us…or maybe just me. The presence of my huge sword often made people uneasy.

I turned to Tifa and leaned forward. "What's your problem?" I whispered.

"I don't have a problem," she whispered back. "You're the one with the problem."

"Now what'd I do?"

"You know what you did," she spat out.

I seemed to recall having this kind of discussion with her before, where nothing was said and it was up to me to figure out what the hell she was talking about. "Tifa, can't you just tell me what's wrong?" I whispered. "I'm getting tired of your stupid guessing games."

"So now you think this is all some big game? Well, I'm tired of all your dirty little secrets."

"What?" I realized too late that I said it too loud. Dirty little secrets? What dirty little secrets? I told her everything…I think.

"Why didn't you tell me you had sex with Aeris?"

I stared for a second and then closed my eyes as I looked away. Shit! I forgot about that one. Who was the fucking big mouth that told her?

"Judging by your reaction, it's obviously true."

I looked back up at her. "Tifa, it was a long time ago."

"You call one year a long time ago?"

"Who told you?"

"Never mind who told me. I feel like such a fool." She looked like she was going to burst into tears. "Did you have sex with Yuffie, too?"

The woman came through the door again. "Samurai?"

Tifa immediately got up and followed the woman through the door.

I didn't even bother following. I stayed in the waiting room. How the hell was I going to get out of this one? This was not the way I had wanted Tifa to find out. I would have told her sooner or later, I just needed the right time to tell her. Well, now it was out.

Who did Tifa have contact with after she left the kitchen table? No one. Who did she talk to while I was taking a shower. Aeris, Marlene, Denzel or Reno? I immediately ruled out the kids because they didn't know about things like that. So was it Aeris or Reno?

Would Aeris really say something to Tifa? I couldn't believe she'd do it to spite me after our conversation this morning. Or would she?

What about Reno? Aeris could have told him we had been together…just the one time. So what would he gain by telling Tifa? It was none of his business. Hopefully Aeris didn't already tell him about me and Tifa. The last thing I needed was for Rufus to find out I was doing his sister. He'd kill me.

Fifteen minutes later, which seemed like an eternity, Tifa came back out holding the kitten.

I got up and walked over to her. "Everything's okay with him?"

"Pay the bill, Cloud."

I walked to the counter and looked at the woman behind it. "What's the damage?"

"Two thousand gil."

I pulled out my credit card and handed it to her.

After Tifa and I walked out a few minutes later, we headed back to the building where Reno was waiting on the roof.

"I didn't have sex with Yuffie," I stated, just to continue the conversation from where it left off.

Tifa skipped up the stairs ahead of me. "What about the rest of your AVALANCHE buddies? Did you do any of them?"

Was she referring to Cid, Barret and Vincent? "That's sick, Tifa." I wanted to wring her neck for even thinking it.

"So is not telling me you had sex with the girl who was kind enough to throw me a surprise birthday party and invite me to stay with all of you. Not to mention the fact that you told her what we did this morning."

Well, at least now I knew Aeris was the one who said something. "I didn't tell her. She figured it out on her own. Besides, you were the one who blurted out that you were in my room. I think you wanted her to know."

"What're you talking about?"

"Yeah, you wanted her to know that we're together."

"Well, why shouldn't I give her that impression? Unless you're still having her on the side? Is that why you didn't tell me?"

"Aeris and I sleep in separate bedrooms. Doesn't that give you a clue?"

"That wouldn't stop you."

"This is so stupid. I only did it one time with her and it was in the middle of an extremely unstable situation. I was just trying to make her feel better." I was digging the hole deeper and deeper. Might as well jump in and start pushing the dirt over myself.

She stopped and spun around and I nearly collided into her. "People are trying to kill us, so that puts us in an extremely volatile situation now, Cloud. Are you just doing it to make me feel better, too?" She turned back around and continued up the stairs.

"No, it's different with you."

"Oh, sure. I bet you say that to every girl you're with." She stopped again. "So how many is that, Cloud? Ten, twenty, a hundred?"

_Don't even think about answering that question, Cloud._ I focused on something over her shoulder and shrugged. "Well, I never thought to keep count…" _This one's going to cost you, you idiot!_

Tifa shoved me hard with her free hand, forcing me to trip down a couple steps. It was a good thing she was holding the kitten in her other hand because if she had used both hands, she would have knocked me down the entire flight of stairs.

I chased after her as she continued up. When the hell were we going to be done climbing stairs? I thought it was only twenty flights? It felt more like forty. Were we in the right building? "Do you really expect me to come right out and say, by the way, Tifa, I had sex with Aeris, just so you know."

"Yes, that's exactly what you should have done."

"You would have slapped me."

"And I still might!" She growled in anger. "I can't believe you took advantage of me like this."

I caught up to her again. "I took advantage of you? You came to _my_ room, not the other way around."

"That may be so, but you tricked me."

Finally the top of the stairs. Tifa pushed open the door and walked out.

I followed at her heels. "Explain how I tricked you, Tifa?"

She remained silent.

Yeah, I kinda figured she wouldn't know how to answer that. She made all the moves. I just went along because I didn't want to disappoint her…and maybe because I wanted it, too, but that was besides the point.

I jumped a few steps ahead of her and opened the helicopter door. When I looked inside…no Reno. I unsheathed Apocalypse and quickly grabbed Tifa. Knowing she'd put up a fight because she was furious with me, I pulled her down on the ground. "Stay down." When I was sure she wasn't going to move, I got up and walked around the chopper. " Reno!"

Just then the red-headed bastard came out from behind a large piece of roof equipment. "Sorry, had to drain my pickle."

I went back to Tifa and pulled her up by the arm. She immediately pulled away from me and got in the chopper. My first thought was to punch Reno in the nose for scaring the shit out of me, but then Tifa would probably get pissed about that, too.

* * *

The minute we walked in the door of the apartment, Marlene and Denzel assaulted Tifa, wanting to know if Samurai was healthy and did it hurt when he got his shots?

While Tifa went into the den with them, I searched around for Aeris. She wasn't downstairs so I headed upstairs and found her in her bedroom, organizing Tifa's clothes in a drawer. At one time seeing her do domestic chores gave me a sense of home, but now it was just annoying. Couldn't she find something better to do with her time?

"Oh, hi, Cloud," she said. "How's Samurai?"

"Never mind the cat. I need to talk to you about something." I took her by the arm and sat her down on the bed.

"Is everything okay?" she asked, her green eyes widening a bit.

"No, everything's not okay." I closed my eyes and breathed because I didn't want to yell. When I opened my eyes again, she looked worried. "Look, I won't get mad if you tell me the truth, okay? Did you tell Tifa that you and me had sex?"

She bit her lower lip. "I…I…thought she already knew."

"Why did you tell her?" I yelled.

She cringed. "You said you wouldn't get mad."

I walked away a couple steps and stared up at the ceiling in frustration. Why did I feel like everyone was out to get me? Why was everything so complicated?

"We were just talking and…and all I said was that she was lucky because at least you loved her when you did it with her this morning."

This was the first time I ever harbored thoughts about strangling Aeris. I literally wanted to turn around and wrap my hands around her neck. But in the long run, I knew I had only myself to blame. I should have been upfront with Tifa and bit the bullet before getting involved with her.

But there was one thing I could do for now. I grabbed Aeris by the arm again and pulled her out of the bedroom.

Tifa was watching Marlene and Denzel playing with the kitten when I dragged Aeris into the den.

I turned to the kids on the floor. "Go play with Samurai upstairs. The adults have to talk in private."

Marlene and Denzel gave me a confused look, but did what I said and left the den.

Tifa gave me a dirty look and folded her arms. "What do you want?"

I turned to Aeris. "Tifa thinks me and you are sleeping together. Tell her."

Aeris raised her eyebrows as she turned to Tifa. "No, Tifa. Cloud and I aren't together like that. I'm sorry. I was going to explain that it was just one time and maybe it shouldn't have happened, but you left in such a rush this morning."

"It's not your fault, Aeris. I'm not mad at you." Tifa looked to me. "I'm mad at Cloud because he didn't tell me first."

"What's the difference?" I asked her in my defense. "Why are you so jealous? First you flipped out when you thought I made out with one of your friends, then you flipped out when you thought I was with Priscilla and now this. Why won't you trust me?"

"Because I don't want to be just another notch on your bedpost."

"Another notch? Dammit, Tifa. I've only been with four women and that includes you and her. I haven't been with a hundred, or twenty, not even ten. There's never been any time for me to get involved in any kind of relationship because I'm always chasing after Sephiroth. If he comes back one more time, I swear, I'm gonna cut him up into little bite-sized pieces, eat him and shit him down the fucking toilet!"

"Stop it, Cloud," said Aeris.

"Stop it? Yeah, I'll stop it." I looked at Tifa. "Tifa, I love you. But I can't take anymore. I'm done." I walked to the door, swung it open and then slammed it behind me as I walked out.

Why was Tifa so jealous? She had to know I'd never cheat on her. I had absolutely no desire to be with any other woman. I only wanted her. But she was fucking driving me insane!

* * *

I struck the ball with my cue stick and it hit the other fifteen balls, scattering them around the table. Two went into the pockets. As I went around for another shot, from the corner of my eye I saw Tifa walk in. Great, just what I needed. More aggravation. I lined up my shot and hit the ball. Except I hit it too hard and the connecting ball flew off the table, struck a wall sconce and shattered it.

"Nice one, Cloud," said one of the guards sitting at the bar as he went to retrieve the ball for me.

"Here you are, Cloud, I need to talk to you," said Tifa as she came up next to me.

The guard tossed me the ball. I caught it and put it on the table to line up another shot. "I'm done talking," I replied as coldly as possible, but I really couldn't pull it off. "In fact, this is the last thing you'll ever hear me say. Starting right now." I hit the ball hard again.

Tifa put her hand on the cue stick to prevent me from using it again. "Don't make me say what I have to say in front of everyone here."

I looked around the billiard room. Besides the one guard, there were a few guards sitting at the bar and playing in pairs at the other tables. Then there was the man tending bar. No, I didn't want any of them hearing what Tifa had to say…in case it was personal. It'd somehow get back to Shinra.

I tossed the cue stick on the table and walked out, hearing her come up behind me. Out in the hall I turned to face her. "Okay, Tifa. Whatta you have to say to me?" I quickly realized I broke my own vow of silence. That didn't bode well for my credibility.

"Not here." She took me by the wrist and dragged me down the hall.

We went up two flights of stairs and went down to the end of the hallway to a door. It opened to a balcony overlooking the lagoon with the waterfall in the background.

Tifa stepped up in front of me. "I'm sorry, Cloud."

I frowned and folded my arms angrily. But I realized I probably looked more like a pouting teenager than an irate boyfriend.

"It's just that…I love you _so_ much, I can't stand the thought of you loving anyone else."

I wanted to be madder than hell at her, but I found myself losing whatever anger had built up until this moment.

"When Aeris said you and her had been together, I just lost it."

"Tifa, I don't love her. I've never been in love with anyone but you. She thought me and her would end up together. I couldn't make a commitment. I felt like there was something missing.." I sighed and placed my hands on her arms. "I was missing _you_, Tifa." It sounded so sappy and so cliché, but it was the truth. It was how I felt.

Tifa's eyes got teary.

My hands went to her face. "No, no…no tears, please." I bent to kiss her. "I love you. I just want you to trust me."

She slid her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly. "I do trust you, Cloud. I just feel so…inadequate and insecure around Aeris. She's so beautiful and I'm just a tomboy."

"What're you talking about? You're smokin' hot."

She drew back and brought us face to face. "Yeah?"

"Can't you tell I'm having a hard time keeping my hands off you?" I emphasized it by sliding my hands down to squeeze her butt cheeks. I kissed her again.

She kissed me back with a lot more passion than I figured she'd have after being so mad at me. "I'm sorry," she said again and continued kissing me between words. "I don't ever…" kiss, kiss "…want us…" kiss, kiss "…to fight again."

"No, never again." I kissed her harder, feeling relieved that our feud was over.

A few minutes later we went back inside, just to be on the safe side. Anybody could have come out on the balcony or would have been able to see us from the ground if they looked up.

* * *

Later that same night, I poked my head in Aeris's bedroom. Aeris was already in bed and Tifa was brushing her hair in front of the mirror. "Goodnight," I told them.

"Goodnight," both girls said at the same time.

I walked back to my bedroom and closed the door. After crawling under the covers, I reached to turn off the lamp, bathing the room in moonlight.

Just as I was about to close my eyes, there was a light knock on the door. I raised my head as the door opened and Tifa slipped into the room.

She quickly closed the door and turned around to face the bed. "Aeris told me to sleep with you tonight."

I frowned. "She did?" That was a shockingly unexpected development.

"I think Reno might be sneaking into the apartment later."

For once I was glad Reno was in the picture. But I wondered if Aeris was doing it just to be spiteful. I didn't care anymore. I pushed the covers aside. "Lock the door and com'ere."

She smiled shyly as she locked the door. Then she walked over and bounced on the bed before laying down next to me. As she curled closer to me, I tilted her face up to kiss her. "Are we going to sleep or…" she trailed off.

"Or?" I knew what she wanted to ask, but I baited her anyway.

She smiled again. "You know."

"Ohhh, you wanna do that."

Her smile went away and she frowned. "You don't want to?"

"'Course, I want to."

Our lips came together wetly. My little angel started drooling as I rubbed my tongue along the inside of her cheek.

I rolled her on her back and palmed her breast over her teeshirt as I kissed her harder. She immediately started grinding against me. I released her lower lip with a slurp. "Hey, slow down," I whispered.

She looked up at me, her eyes alittle wide and worried. "Am I…am I doing something wrong?"

"No, no." I kissed her reassuringly. "I just don't want it to be over so fast. We're not in any rush. No one's gonna interrupt us." I kissed her again, alittle longer. "Just relax. Let's take it nice and slow this time."

"Oh, I get it," she smile shyly. "You wanna do some of the other things, right?"

I smiled back. "Damn right, I do." I kissed her again before tossing the covers aside. As I pulled away and straddled her hips, I got up on my knees. "Let's get you out of these clothes first." I tugged off her teeshirt and bent to kiss her lips yet again. I couldn't believe I was exercising such self-control. My insides were screaming to just get it over with. But I wasn't going to rush through it again, not like this morning. I wanted to touch and taste and feel everything with her.

Tifa caressed my face as I kissed her. As I pulled back, her hands moved along my shoulders and down my arms. Her touch gave me goosebumps. I couldn't wait to feel her touching me elsewhere once I was done taking care of her.

I took hold of her panties and her hands stopped me.

"Don't rip them, please. I don't have very many."

"Sorry." I tugged them down and she bent and folded her legs up as I slid them off. I gently nudged her legs apart to look down at the part of her I had already touched but hadn't exactly seen in any great detail.

Her cheeks instantly reddened and she bit her lower lip.

I thought her bashfulness was needless since we already had intercourse. But maybe there hadn't been time for her to be nervous this morning, not even to really think about what we were doing. And now she was thinking…so her behavior was alittle apprehensive and shy. Unnecessary, but still pretty endearing, I thought.

She lifted up her foot and playfully tickled my earlobe with her toes.

I captured her foot and she looked alittle wide-eyed. Was she ticklish? I kissed her big toe and then ran my tongue down the bottom of her foot, around to her ankle, where I gave her a friendly nibble.

I released her foot and crawled above her, bending to dip my tongue into her warm mouth, savoring the taste. I kissed her face and spent a long time kissing the side of her neck, being careful not to leave any telltale marks on her. She had a hint of perfume on her skin. It was making me delirious. I worked my way back across her face, stopping only to slurp on her lips again and then moved down the other side of her neck.

She seemed to enjoy the attention and shivered when my tongue rolled down between her breasts. As I squeezed her right one, I slowly stroked her velvety soft nipple with my tongue. She slid her fingers into my hair and softly moaned. I sucked and tugged on her nipple with my teeth and it hardened like the pit of a cherry.

Tifa arched. "Aaahhhh…"

I drifted over to her left nipple, rolling my tongue around the bud, loving the way she reacted when I nibbled on it, tugging and pulling and then softly sucking. This was the first time I had ever spent so much time on nipples. I left Tifa's sopping wet by the time I decided to move on.

As I kissed down the middle of Tifa's stomach, I slid my hands down to her thighs, pushing them further apart. Then the uncertainty hit me. What if I didn't do it right? What if I made her uncomfortable? I had never gone down on a girl before. I came close with Aeris that one night when we thought we weren't going to survive the final battle with Sephiroth. But I couldn't do it. It just didn't feel right to me.

When I raised my head and looked at Tifa, she looked back at me with hooded eyes. She bit her lower lip and smiled alittle. "What're you doing, Cloud?"

Everything seemed so right with Tifa. There wasn't anything I couldn't do and wouldn't do for her.

I kept my eyes on hers as I brought my mouth down to kiss her soft belly. My left arm went around her thigh and I drew it close to leave a trail of wet kisses on the inside of it…working my way down. She was shivering in anticipation. My eyes met hers again as I brought my mouth down over her cleft.

Her eyes slammed shut and she arched with a strained cry, immediately slapping a hand over her own mouth to control the sounds.

I slowly brushed my lips across her petals before stroking them with my tongue and tasting the slick juices clinging there. I dabbed my tongue along her clit and she jerked with a gasp in response. Rubbing it with my teeth made her mewl like her kitten. Knowing that this was the one place that would bring her over the edge, I didn't linger there long because I didn't want it to end just yet. Instead I ran my tongue lower and dipped it inside her folds, slurping at the juices oozing out of her and making obscene noises that made her giggle between her soft moans.

_Way to go, Cloud. She's digging it. _

I didn't want to stop, she tasted so good. But I could tell she was getting a bit frustrated with me, just from the way she was squirming and trying to lure me back to her clit. It was almost time to blow the top of her head off. Not yet, though. One more thing to do.

I brushed my fingertips along her wet folds and briefly rubbed her juices over her clit, checking to see her reaction.

She opened her mouth. "Ooooohhhhh…..!"

When I removed my fingers, she clenched her fists into the sheets and growled angrily. I suppressed my laugh because I didn't want her to think I was torturing her on purpose. Just to make up for it, I slowly slid my index finger inside her.

"Aaahhhh…!"

Yeah, that definitely helped. I added another finger, pushing them slowly into her slick opening. As I moved them in and out in a steady rhythm, I lightly flicked the underside of her clit with the tip of my tongue. She bucked up with a moan.

Her fingers tangled tightly around my hair.

Enough of this. If I didn't give her what she wanted, she'd yank the hair out of my head. Increasing the pace of my penetrating fingers, I latched my mouth around her clit and sucked on it.

Tifa gasped and released my hair to cover her mouth. Her thighs started to tremble uncontrollably and she arched upward. She was cumming pretty hard.

I held her down before she knocked us off the bed. While maintaining contact between my mouth and her clit, I turned my fingers and curled them, seeking her secret button.

She screamed in her hands to muffle the sound and arched again.

Yup, found it. I poked her in that same spot everytime it looked like she was about to come down. I started wondering how many times I could make her cum and tested it.

After releasing her clit, I lightly brushed my tongue back and forth across it.

Her chest was heaving after she came down from the last wave. As much as I wanted her to experience a bunch more, I was ready to bust out of my pajamas. My cock was so hard, I was afraid it'd snap right off if I moved the wrong way.

I pulled my fingers out and replaced them with my tongue, tasting her release. It was nearly enough to make me spurt. Not yet. Wait for the good stuff. After sucking on her juices, I flicked my tongue over her clit, making her spasm.

She was breathing heavily when I crawled up and rested my weight on top of her. "You…you enjoyed that…too much," she gasped out between breaths.

"Yeah, I did," I said with a grin. "I bet you did, too." I captured her lips and she struggled to pull away, but I wouldn't let her. The second her mouth opened a little, I shoved my tongue in. If she didn't sink her teeth into it, I would have had a little more fun, but I released her mouth.

"I can't believe you did that, you creep."

"What? It's just you, Tifa. You taste good."

"I'll remember that when I swallow you and force you to kiss me."

Out of that entire sentence all I heard was _swallow you_. "Wouldn't bother me."

'We'll see." She surprised me by kissing me hard. Apparently she didn't seem to mind as much as she said she did. Then she shoved me off and pushed me over on my back.

Hopefully I didn't make her too mad. But I kinda liked when she got physical with me.

She crawled on her hands and knees to the foot of the bed, pushing the sheets aside as she went. When she got to my feet, she turned to face me and sat back on her heels.

Seeing her sitting there like that with her thighs spread open...if I could get any harder, I would have. I was already sticking straight up in the confines of my pajamas. It looked ridiculous.

Tifa reached forward to pop the snaps of my pajamas and yanked them down, exposing my erection.

The cool air hitting it nearly made it shrivel up, but I didn't have to worry about it. Not while Tifa studied it like it was a sculpture. It was such a turn on. I folded my arms behind my head on the pillow and smiled at her. "Are you just going to sit there and stare at it?"

She crawled over me on her hands and knees until her face was hovering above mine, giving me a crazed smile. "It's my turn to torture you now."

I accepted her challenge. "Give it your best shot."

Her mouth covered mine in a passionate kiss. She abruptly pulled away and stared into my eyes. "You'll tell me if I'm doing it wrong though, right?"

"If it's anything like what you did to that liquor bottle back at the school that one night, then you'll definitely be doing it right."

"You were looking?"

"I was right there, how could I not look?"

She smiled. "Was it turning you on?"

"Hell, yeah. Why do you think I left?"

"So it wasn't because Sheri told me to moon you?"

I laughed. "As much as I would have loved to see that, I was way too hammered to think straight. It was bad enough we woke up in the bathtub together and couldn't remember what the hell we did."

"Well, now we know we didn't do _that_."

"Yeah, I'm glad. I would have felt bad if you couldn't even remember your first time."

Tifa kissed my forehead and then the bridge of my nose before moving to my mouth. She roughly sucked on my lips and sank her teeth on my chin.

When she started kissing the side of my neck, I closed my eyes and relaxed to the feel of her lips and tongue on my skin.

I could tell she was also trying not to leave any marks on me. Not like the last time. It made me laugh alittle. But that was short-lived when she roughly assaulted my right nipple with her teeth. "Owww!" I growled. "You wanna know if you're doing it wrong? That, right there. That's wrong!"

She laughed and licked my sore nipple apologetically, moving to the other side and laving it with affection. But I knew she wasn't at all sorry. She seemed to enjoy inflicting pain on me.

When she suddenly stopped, I raised my head from the pillow.

She lightly ran her fingers over the fading bullet scars between my ribcage. Then she brought her lips down to the same place, kissing me hard, as if she wanted to heal the wounds herself.

Just when I thought she might burst into tears, she moved further down, grazing her lips down the center of my torso. At my bellybutton, she playfully circled her tongue around it. I let out an involuntary and very uncharacteristic giggle when she dipped the tip of her tongue inside. It was a good thing she didn't notice.

I closed my eyes and breathed as she traced butterfly kisses down my hair trail. Damn, I needed to slow down or I'd explode before she even touched my dingus. It was difficult though. The last and only time I ever got head was with some girl I hooked up with before I joined AVALANCHE. I didn't give a shit back then who I was with or what I was doing. All I cared about was getting off in a hurry and getting the hell out.

I was with Tifa now. None of that other stuff mattered anymore. She was the only thing that mattered to me.

I groaned as she pressed her soft breasts against my cock. I opened my eyes and watched her squeeze them together, creating an unbelievably pleasurable friction. Where did she learn this? She moved alittle lower and my erection sprang free of her cushiony pillows, standing at attention right in front of her face.

I wondered if she was going to just stare at it again. I flexed a certain pelvic muscle, which made my appendage move on its own. It made her smile, but it also broke her out of her trance.

Tifa repositioned herself to lie on her side next to me, but facing the opposite way so her legs were near my head. She stretched across my thighs and wrapped her hand around my cock, giving it an introductory couple of strokes before running her tongue along the underside, from root to tip and back.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying desperately to control the need to blow like a geyser. I wanted this to last, not be over in five seconds. Maybe if I kept my eyes open and watched her, I could concentrate on her actions and not on how she was making me feel. It helped alittle because I was fascinated by the way she lovingly worshipped my phallus with her hand and her tongue.

Her eyes met mine as she ran her tongue around my head.

I sucked air through my clenched teeth when she opened her mouth and engulfed me. Shit…shit…shit…shit…why was I so weak when it came to Tifa? She sucked lightly at first and then harder, sending all my blood rushing to that one spot. I was on fire, the heat burning me from the inside out. The pressure of her mouth and the way she used her teeth, it felt so good. "Uuuuuhhhhh….!"

Her hand went down to squeeze my testicles. She wasn't going to let me hold it any longer as she nearly deep-throated me and slid me in and out of her mouth, fast and furious. She was killing me.

So much for making it last long. "Tifa…stop…" I barely got the words out before my tensed muscles snapped like a rubber band. I exploded in her mouth, spurting in continuous spasms, and at the same time trying desperately to keep my groaning down to a low timber.

She didn't let up, her jaws milking my cock for every last drop.

Gods, she nearly had me bursting into tears, it felt so damned good to just let loose like that. Even after I was finally spent and getting limp, she sucked on the side of my shaft, like she was eating a popsicle.

Finally she rested her head on my thigh and sighed as she looked at me with a small smile. "That was fun."

I stretched out my left arm and gently caressed her leg. "You can say that again."

"That was fun,' she repeated and then giggled.

It made me smile. I squeezed my fingers between her knees and coaxed her to bend her leg. Her legs parted and I cupped her still wonderfully wet center.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" I curiously asked, as I lazily slid my fingers inside her.

She closed her eyes and parted her lips in response to my probing digits. "I saw it on a video once. Sara got it from somebody else."

The thought of Tifa watching porn was enough to stir me up all over again. But so was the way she was lightly raking her nails around my stomach and of course, my fingers playing between her legs.

"Can I ask you a question, Cloud?"

I couldn't believe I was actually agreeing to pillow talk of any kind. But I was happy doing anything with Tifa. "Sure."

"The girl you first did it with, did you have any feelings for her at all?"

I pulled my hand away in irritation and frowned at her. "Come on, Tifa, let's not start this again."

"No, I'm not starting anything," she assured and emphasized it by caressing my stomach and sending shivers up my spine. "Honest, Cloud. I just wanna know what it was like for you."

"No, I didn't care about her. I didn't even know who she was."

She gave me a troubled look.

"It was when I first got to Midgar after Zack died. I was depressed and full of rage and I didn't care about anything."

"That's really sad."

"Tell me about it." I frowned and shrugged. "Let's just drop it, please. It's not something I'm very proud of." If I had remembered Tifa, I never would have done what I did. I would have waited to be with her. I regretted the nameless girl…and the other one whose name I didn't remember. I even regretted being with Aeris.

Tifa closed her eyes as I brought my hand back between her legs.

"Sleepy yet?" I asked.

"No…."

I could feel myself getting hard again, just feeling her inside…how hot and wet she was…her face so close to my growing erection. "Tell me you want me, Tifa."

She opened her eyes and smiled again, but didn't say anything.

I flicked my thumb across her clit, making her jerk. "Say it."

"I want you," she moaned.

Without further ado, I sat up and spent a couple seconds repositioning us. Her on her hands and knees and me kneeling at her butt.

I caressed her back as I gently entered her slick opening from behind. She was still alittle tight and mewled in response. I drew back and moved forward again in short, measured thrusts. I didn't want to hurt her again. But she was so hot and wet, it was like a vacuum sucking me in. When I was fully sheathed, I bent forward over her back and kissed her left shoulder. I nipped at her soft skin and groaned in pleasure at the blissful pressure around my cock..

Just then I realized her mouth open and her face was scrunched in pain, but she wasn't breathing. "Tifa?"

The second I pulled out from inside her, she released a deep breath and gasped for air.

I gently turned her around and laid her on her side as I came down beside her. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

She took a deep breath and slowly released it. "It was…it was alittle too deep."

I should have known better than to try that position on her so soon. This was only her second time. "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay."

When I knew she was alright, I kissed her forehead and laughed. "I didn't think I was that big."

She laughed with me. "Okay, no need to brag."

"Hey, you were the one who said I was this big," I held up my pinky.

She laughed again.

I sat up and grabbed the covers, pulling them over us as I laid back down. "I think that's enough excitement for you for one night."

She tilted her face up. "Are you mad?"

"Why would I be mad?"

"We didn't finish."

"Don't worry about it. We'll have other nights…." I gave her a crooked smile. "…or days." I bent to kiss her on the lips, lingering longer than I meant to. I needed to lose the hard on, not make it grow more.

Tifa curled up against me, cradling her head in the nape of my neck. "I love you," she whispered.

I was exhausted anyway. But it would have been nice to reach completion one more time. Three times in one day. That would have been a record for me.

* * *

_Please review! Thanks. _


	18. Nothing But Facts

Author's Note – I've received some bad news at work, so I may not be updating as often as I have been. Sorry for breaking my promise to have a chapter posted every other day. It all depends on how things go at work. But I do promise that I will not abandon this story. We must have closure here!

**

* * *

Chapter 18 – Nothing But Facts**

Something soft touched my lips. Was I dreaming?

"Cloud, wake up, wake up, wake up." It was Tifa. She sounded a little frustrated.

I felt my bottom lip being tugged and pulled and sucked in the most amazing way. "Mmm, you better hurry up and have your way with me before my girlfriend comes back. She's very jealous."

She playfully smacked my face.

I opened my eyes and smiled at her. "Oh, hey, it's you."

"I'll kick your ass." But she wasn't mad. She turned her head and assaulted my mouth without any regard to whether or not I even wanted to be kissed. She tasted like pancake syrup and I couldn't help but hum in enjoyment at that little surprise.

When she came up for air and tried again, I turned my face away. "Come on, Tifa, I probably have bad morning breath. Let me go brush my teeth."

She turned my face and kissed me again. "Tastes fine to me."

I ignored her. "What time is it?"

"9:30."

I was wide awake now and pulled myself up.

Tifa rolled off with a pout.

I noticed she was wearing her teeshirt and pajama bottoms. Before we fell asleep last night, I was pretty sure she was as naked as I was. "Where'd you go?"

"Downstairs. You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't wanna wake you up."

I sat up and bent forward to rub the back of my neck. "Did everyone have breakfast already?"

Tifa squeezed in behind me and began massaging my neck and shoulders. "Yes, and they all left."

I turned to look over my shoulder at her. "Left? Where'd they go?"

"To the pool. Aeris asked if I wanted to go. I told her I'd wait for you to wake up first and then we'd meet them in alittle bit."

"So there's no one in the apartment?"

"No."

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

I launched myself off the bed and went to the door, flinging it open. "Alone at last. I feel like running naked up and down the halls." When I turned around to face Tifa, she was sitting cross-legged on the bed, her hands covering her mouth as she laughed. "What?"

She shook her head and continued to laugh.

I looked down at myself. "It's alittle cold in here." Yeah, I was alittle bit shriveled, not as impressive as last night. But it was nothing to laugh about. "Oh, you are just asking for it."

When I stalked toward the bed, she squealed and drew her legs up to ward off my hands.

I tickled her mercilessly and she laughed hysterically, while trying to push my hands away.

"Cloud, stop! Stop it!"

"Never!" I grabbed her wrists and pinned them above her head as I moved on top of her. "Shhh, sit still."

Tifa stopped struggling and when she raised her head to kiss me, I drew back my face out of her reach.

I smiled when she gave me an angry frown. "Whatta you say, Tifa?"

"Kiss my ass," she snarled with an evil grin.

"Don't worry, I'll be doing that soon enough, but no, that's not the appropriate response."

Her smile became more pleasant, but she was still baring her teeth. "Please?"

"Was that so hard?" I captured her lips and sucked on them. As I slipped her my tongue, I turned my head for a better angle.

The second I released her wrists, her fingers went into my hair. My hand went to her breast and I squeezed it with purpose.

I released her lower lip with a sharp tug of my teeth. "I want you right now, Tifa."

"You think you're in a position to demand sex from me?"

"Yeah." I was acting alittle overconfident, but I knew she wouldn't say no.

"Well, get off me so I can get out of my clothes."

I couldn't argue with that logic. I pulled away and sat up to help her out of her pajamas.

Gone was the timid girl from last night. Tifa spread her legs without hesitation and beckoned me with her arms.

I crawled back on top of her, holding myself up with my arms so I could look down at her.

She reached up and touched my face, the humor gone from hers.

I lowered myself to her lips, kissing her slowly, lovingly…no hurries. I dipped my tongue into her mouth, stroking hers.

She came up for air and moaned as I entered her slowly. It was a lot easier going in now.

I started rocking against her, moving in and out. Her face was relaxed and glowing. I pressed several soft kisses on her cheeks and watched them become more flushed as I drove in alittle harder and faster.

She moaned ecstatically and wrapped her arms around my head, pulling me down for more lip sucking.

We moved together for a few minutes. I was sweating from the exertion of trying to hold it until she climaxed first.

When she finally did, she bit her lip and held back.

"Let it out, Tifa. There's nobody home."

She opened her mouth and let out a startlingly loud and long cry.

As soon as I knew she was done, I started to pull out, but she wouldn't let me go.

"No, Cloud, don't…"

And then it was too late. I spilled inside her with a grunt, followed by a long groan. It felt great, but all I could think about was the fact that I wasn't wearing a condom and I didn't want to get her pregnant.

When it was over, I rolled off her and stared up at the ceiling. I had always been careful, always used a condom. Tifa was the first girl I had been with where I didn't use some kind of protection. I had pulled out in time the day before, but not this time. Maybe nothing would happen. What were the chances anyway?

Tifa rolled on her stomach and rested her chin up on my chest. "Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Then why're you so quiet all of a sudden?"

I looked at her. "Tifa, don't do that again."

"Do what?"

"I don't wanna cum inside you."

"Cloud, I know you're not going to give me some kind of disease."

"It's not that. My life wouldn't be worth 2 gil if I got you pregnant. Rufus would kill me and piss on my grave."

She rolled on her back and started laughing.

I turned and stared at her with my mouth open. Apparently she didn't give a rat's ass about my survival. I sat up and ran all ten of my fingers through my hair in frustration.

Tifa stopped laughing and came up behind me, wrapping her arms around my neck. "You don't have to worry, Cloud. I've been on birth control since I was sixteen."

"Really?" Well, that bit of news changed everything. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She kissed the back of my neck. "Well, I was worried you'd think I was a tramp like Priscilla, especially after you found those condoms in my medicine cabinet. Which by the way belonged to Sara. They weren't mine."

"Fuckin' A. I hate condoms anyway."

She squeezed her arms tighter. "Cloud, I want to tell Rufus about us."

I groaned. "No, Tifa. There's plenty of hostility between me and your brother enough as it is."

"I don't want to sneak around anymore. Please?"

"Well, can't we just…" I stopped the thought with a heavy sigh. I had already been caught too many times because of either my dishonesty or not saying anything when I should have. "Okay, but let me tell him. If he gets mad then let him get mad at me, not you."

She leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. Then she pulled away and crawled off the bed.

"Where're you going?" I asked.

"To take a shower."

I got off the bed. "Not without me," I said as I picked her up, bridal style, and carried her out of the room, down the hall and into the bathroom.

* * *

While I sent Tifa to the pool to join Aeris, Marlene and Denzel, I went looking for Rufus Shinra. There were two things I wanted to discuss with him. One was to get more information on who was after him and the other was my relationship with Tifa.

There wasn't much I was afraid of…except maybe being trapped inside a cylinder tank full of Mako…but I was seriously terrified about telling Rufus that Tifa and I were together.

I found Reno at the bar in the billiard room. It seemed to be his usual hang out. "Reno, where's Rufus?"

"Hell, if I know. Why're you looking for him?"

"Cuz I wanna make out with him." Even though it had only been a joke, I probably shouldn't have said it because there were others in the room and they didn't know about my callous sarcasm.

"Hang on," said Reno as he pulled out his phone. He punched in a number and waited for a response. "Yeah, where's the big guy?...Ahuh…Ahuh…Ahuh…" He ended the call and turned to me. "He's on the Log."

"The what?"

"The Log." He finished the rest of his drink in one gulp and slammed the glass down before getting up. "Come on, numb nuts, I'll show you."

* * *

The Log was a rectangular platform that stuck out of the highest structure in Healin. I'd seen it from the ground a few times but never realized it was used as a lookout post.

The entire countryside was visible for miles in every direction. I could see the developing structures of Edge, just outside the demolished pie-like sections of Midgar and the ocean beyond. Between Midgar and Healin was a vast wasteland, which I had been told used to be covered with forests and fields of flowers. But that was way before my time.

Rufus was standing at the wooden reiling surrounding the platform, a light breeze blowing his hair around.

Reno stayed behind at the door while I walked forward.

The wooden planks creaked with every step I took. Hopefully this thing was solid enough to hold my weight and wouldn't collapse. I didn't want to end up in that stupid medical ward again.

Rufus didn't say anything as I came up next to him.

I pointed toward Edge. "Hey, I can see my house from here."

He chuckled briefly. "I had this platform built just so I could see the progress being made on the construction in Edge." He turned his attention to Midgar.

I followed his gaze toward Midgar.

At the center of what used to be the greatest metropolis in the world, was Shinra Corp Headquarters. The top of the 70 story glass tower was gone, destroyed by the blast launched from Diamond Weapon nearly a year ago.

The Healin Lodge had been developed to treat the Geostigma disease when it first made its appearance a year ago. After the Geostigma threat ended, people that had once been infected stopped coming, so Shinra and his men took over the facility.

But I wasn't there to talk to him about Shinra Headquarters or any other building. "Who's after you, Rufus?"

"It doesn't concern you, Cloud."

"The hell it doesn't. They tried to kill me."

"Tifa's safe here. They won't come after you any longer."

"You owe me a name."

Rufus sighed heavily, as if he was really debating with himself on whether to give me more information or not. "I suppose I owe you that much." He kept his gaze toward Midgar. "When I first started receiving the death threat calls, I thought it was just some disgruntled employee who wasn't rehired when we moved our operations to Healin."

I noticed him absently tapping his knuckles on the wood reiling, making me wonder if there was a nervous man inside the hard, stoic exterior. He always seemed cold and uncaring, but I knew different. If he was as uncaring as people made him out to be, then why would he have spent millions, maybe billions of gil to rebuild everything his father destroyed?

"But then he started making specific demands," he went on. "He wanted schematics for the Midgar cannon and the one in Junon."

"Why would someone want them?"

"I'm pretty sure it's bogus, just to throw me off. I didn't give him any information, of course."

"Do you know who it is?"

"His name's Floyd Dalton. An old associate of my father's and…" He gave me a side glance. "…an ex-SOLDIER."

I figured he was silently asking if the name was familiar to me. "Never heard of him."

"He trained Sephiroth."

Huh, I thought Sephiroth taught himself. If that wasn't the case, I wondered why Zack never mentioned this Dalton guy. He talked about Sephiroth a lot back when I was in the academy.

"Still doesn't ring a bell?"

I shrugged. "No."

"I'm not surprised. Dalton liked to stay low key."

"So what does this guy want?"

"The Promised Land."

I rolled my eyes. Not the Promised Land again. "There is no Promised Land, Rufus. We both know that."

The search for the Promised Land was what lead Sephiroth on his killing spree the second time he made his appearance. It turned out he wanted to damage the planet with the help of a meteor in order to draw out the powers of the Lifestream. All it served to do was nearly destroy the planet. The Promised Land was not a place. It was the Lifestream itself. The only way to get there was to die. So I assumed this Dalton guy was a complete lunatic, which made him all the more dangerous.

"What does he specifically want from you?" I asked.

"He thinks I've been there and he wants me to show him the way."

I started laughing. "Well, shit, Rufus. You could have ended this before it even started. Take him to the Temple of the Ancients and push him into the abyss. End of story."

He didn't laugh. He didn't even smile. "Unfortunately Dalton is not an imbecile. Besides, I'm at the mercy of his occasional phone calls."

"You've traced them, right?"

"Many times. The calls originally started coming from the old headquarters building." He motioned in that direction with his head. "I sent some men to check it out. After that he started calling from a cell and the signal was untraceable."

"So what was the point of making calls from there?" I gestured toward the Shinra building at the center of Midgar. "Unless he wanted you to find out who he was and left you some clues."

Shinra folded his arms and smiled. "There were two things Sephiroth and Dalton had in common."

I thought about Sephiroth for a minute. If Dalton trained Sephiroth, what could they have in common? Then it hit me. "Masamune." It was Sephiroth's weapon of choice.

"Very good, Cloud."

"I have my moments."

"Dalton or perhaps one of his henchmen, managed to kill one of my men when I sent them to search the building. They left the weapon lodged in the man's chest."

I remembered finding President Shinra, Rufus's father, a year ago. He was still sitting in his chair in his enormous office, a Masamune lodged in his chest. It was how we knew it was Sephiroth. "What makes you think it's not Sephiroth again?"

"He initially tried to make me believe he was Sephiroth…returned for the fourth time."

But then it dawned on me. If it was Sephiroth, he wouldn't be asking for the location of the Promised Land. "Sephiroth knows it doesn't exist."

"Exactly." Shinra sighed and placed his hands on the reiling again. "So that's it."

I frowned at him. "Incidentally, where are the plans for those cannons?" What if Dalton really was after them and he was just making Rufus think it was bogus?

Rufus tapped the side of his head with a finger. "It's all in here."

"Yeah, right." I knew Rufus Shinra was an intelligent man, but he didn't do things for himself. He had people, who had other people doing things.

He shook his head as he surveyed the landscape. "You know, I used to think controlling the world with fear was better than wasting money like my old man did."

"And now?"

He smiled. "I gain enormous satisfaction out of helping others."

What a load of shit. "Hm, must be pretty cold in hell right now." I turned around to leave and got about four steps.

"There's something else, isn't there?" he asked, stopping me in my tracks.

Damn…how did this guy do it? How did he know I had something else on my mind?

"Is it about Tifa?"

I didn't turn around. "Yeah."

"She's old enough to make her own decision…as long as you're not influencing it, of course."

I wondered why he wasn't mad about it if he had already known. But then again, Rufus Shinra never threw a fit. He just quietly sent his people in to take care of matters for him. So when would he send someone to take care of me? "I've been in love with Tifa all my life. I'd do anything for her."

"Have the two of you…?" he trailed off.

I knew what he was asking and I decided I wasn't going to lie. "Yes."

Rufus remained silent.

I turned alittle in his direction, wondering if he was going to say anything else. Or maybe he was thinking about how he was going to have me skinned alive and lay it on the floor in front of his fireplace. In his eyes, Tifa wasn't nineteen. She was his little sister and his only living relative. I had to respect him for wanting to protect her.

"You live too dangerously, Cloud," he finally said. "I prefer a more stable life for Tifa."

"So you're telling me to end it with her?"

He turned to look at me. "If I said yes, would that stop you?"

"No."

"I didn't think so." He turned away again.

I wasn't sure how to take it. Was he going to move Tifa out of the apartment now? Was he going to prevent me from seeing her? He knew I'd fight to the death if I had to.

Figuring the discussion was over, I started to walk toward the door where Reno was patiently waiting.

"She'd hate me if I kept the two of you apart," he called out. "So I don't have much of a choice, do I?"

I turned around and walked backward. "You said so yourself, Rufus. She's old enough to make her own decisions."

"You're both extremely stubborn and neurotic." He turned to look over his shoulder at me, giving me a crooked smile. "How do you ever manage to get along?"

I returned the smile and shrugged, thinking maybe he wasn't so opposed to me and Tifa being together. "We don't."

_

* * *

Please review! Thanks._


	19. Pieces

Author's Note – Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter out to you all. I'm trying to juggle some critical things in my life. But I have to tell you, losing myself in Cloud's world makes me happy so I'll keep the updates coming. Damn, don't we all wish we could make money writing fanfiction? That would sure put an end to some of my problems.

Things will begin to pick up after the lull in this chapter because we all know Cloud can't stand being bored. Besides, we don't want him going back to drinking…a very nasty habit for our boy.

**

* * *

Chapter 19 – Pieces**

I went to the pool to talk to Tifa and found about a dozen Shinra guards there, too. Aeris was sitting on the edge of the deep end, watching Denzel and Marlene and making sure they weren't getting in the way of the guards diving off the board.

Tifa was swimming laps. She saw me and swam to the edge of the pool where I crouched. "How did it go?" she asked.

"Better than I thought." I admired her in her black bikini.

"He didn't blow up at you?"

I shook my head and shrugged. "Rufus doesn't blow up. Besides, I got the impression that he already knew there was something going on between us. He admitted to not liking it, but he's not going to stop us from seeing each other."

"So we don't have to sneak around anymore?"

"Nope."

Tifa put her hands on the edge of the pool and pulled herself halfway out in front of me. She kissed me with an open mouth.

I knew there were eyes on us, but it didn't matter any longer. I let her have her way for the moment.

"Do you love me?" she asked playfully when she finally pulled away.

"Yeah, I love you."

"Say it."

"I just did."

"Say it again."

"I love you."

"Say it louder."

I knew the game she was playing. "No, I'm not gonna say it louder."

She pushed off the edge and fell backward into the water. Then she splashed me.

I stood up and stepped away. "I'll see you later."

"Where're you going?"

"I've got an errand to run."

* * *

Reno and I took a trip to the Icicle Village Academy for two reasons. I wanted to get my materia and my laundry, which I hoped was done by now, and I wanted to have a chat with Redgrave. 

We landed in the square just inside the parameter fence and Hutchins was there to greet us.

"Any trouble since we left?" I asked the school security man as he walked with Reno and I toward the building.

"Not really. I contacted the Icicle Village authorities right away and they came out for a few days. But the helicopter never came back."

"That's because I took care of it the next day."

Hutchins didn't ask me how.

We walked into the building just as the students were changing classes.

I was immediately bombarded…girls hugging me, touching my sword, asking me questions about Tifa. In the midst of the faces, I spotted Sara and Jaden, Tifa's closest friends and pulled them off to the side.

The two girls eyed Reno so I felt compelled to introduce him.

"Sara, Jaden, this is Reno."

"Good afternoon, ladies," he drawled in his flirtatious manner.

I cut in before he could say anymore. "Tifa's safe."

"What're you doing here, Cloud?" asked Sara.

"I came to get some stuff and Tifa's phone."

"It was Priscilla," Jaden blurted out. "We heard she snuck into the file room and found Tifa's file. She was the one that called the reporter."

I had a feeling that's what happened. "Is she still here? I thought she was expelled."

"No, she's gone. Her parents came and got her a couple days after you and Tifa left."

"Good." I gave them a smile. "I've gotta go, so you two behave yourselves. No more late night drinking sessions, all right?"

They laughed.

"I'll make sure Tifa calls you." I turned and walked away a few steps before I noticed Reno wasn't with me. I turned back around and saw him lean against the wall, smiling at the two girls.

"So what's this I hear about late night drinking?" he casually asked them.

"Reno!"

Reno moved away from the wall. "Gotta go." He walked toward me. "What, I can't talk to Tifa's friends?"

I walked on and he fell in step next to me. "Does the name Aeris ring any bells?"

"Oh yeah, my little heartthrob," he said dreamily.

"You do know she's capable of circumcising a fly from thirty feet away, right?"

He cringed. "Yeah, she's given me the lecture. If I so much as look at another girl, it's lights out for me."

I couldn't help but laugh at that. Aeris could be very possessive when she wanted to be.

"Where're we goin' now?" he asked.

"To talk to the principle. Then we're going upstairs to get my stuff."

"And then we're out of here?"

"Yup."

"Good cuz I'm getting the heebie jeebies in this place. All girls, man. How the hell did you stand it for a week?"

"I didn't."

A few minutes later we stood in front of Redgrave's door. I knocked once but didn't wait for a reply before I barged in.

Redgrave looked up from some papers on her desk and her face fell. "Oh no, not you again. And look, you brought a friend. How delightful."

"Shut your pie hole and listen to me."

She opened her mouth to protest, but decided against it.

"Did anyone call you about Tifa in the last week or so?"

"No…no one. Well, except Mr Shinra, of course, to tell me that he was temporarily taking Miss Lockhart out of school."

"Anyone call you before that?"

"No."

"How did it leak out that Tifa and Rufus have the same mother?"

"I…I have no idea."

I leaned a fist on her desk. "I'll enlighten you. Priscilla got into your file room, took Tifa's file and called a reporter."

She looked genuinely shocked.

I waited a minute to let her digest the information and also to see if maybe she might be hiding something. I'd be able to tell if she was because I intimidated her.

"It looks as if I will need to invest some money on a better security system for the file room," she finally said. She sighed and looked up at me. "Will Miss Lockhart be coming back sometime soon?"

I decided to test the waters and see if she knew more than she lead me to believe. "Not until Dalton is caught."

She didn't flinch, not even an eyelash. Either she was good or she didn't know the man. It didn't matter, I wasn't going to trust anyone. But at least now I knew Redgrave had nothing to do with what happened.

"You better hope Shinra doesn't blame you for all the shit that went down here," I said before walking away. "Have a nice life."

Reno got the door and we walked out.

Upstairs in Tifa's room, I didn't have anything to put my stuff in, so I grabbed a garbage bag. My clothes had been cleaned and were stacked on top of the bed. I threw them haphazardly in the bag, not really caring that someone had taken great care to make sure they were neatly folded. Luckily my materia was still in the drawer of the nightstand. I put the magic balls in my pocket.

I noticed Reno looking around the room, opening drawers, picking up things on the dresser. "Don't touch anything." I went around and grabbed some things that belonged to Tifa. Her teddy bear, a couple pairs of shoes, her jacket, the picture of me and her in the nightstand drawer. I even emptied her underwear drawer into the bag. Now she'd have plenty in case I got careless again and accidentally ripped any off of her.

I found her cell phone under her pillow and stuck it in my pocket. What else? I went in the bathroom and grabbed a few things from the shelf and from the medicine cabinet. I left the condoms where they were.

When I came out of the bathroom, I found Reno opening the lid of a container and sniffing the contents. He sneezed and white powder went flying. I laughed because he had it all over his face. "I told you not to touch anything."

Reno quickly put the container back on the dresser and wiped his face with a sleeve. "Are you done yet?"

"Yeah, let's go."

We walked out of Tifa's room.

* * *

I waited until the helicopter blades slowed down before I hopped out. When I told Reno to land in the chasm where Fenrir crashed, I thought it had been a good idea at the time. But now I wasn't so sure. Seeing what remained of my precious motorcycle tore at my heart. 

Pieces of Fenrir were scattered all around, some of them charred from the explosion. A crushed side mirror, the leather seat torn in half, the bent and burned wheels.

I crouched down and picked up a piece of the handgrip, remembering the hours of cussing out Cid for getting the wrong ones.

"_I told you I wanted the ones with the brake lever on top. These are a piece of shit!"_

"_Hey, better take what I can find, you little bastard!"_

"_I gave you ten thousand gil to get me the black ones. Give me my fucking money back, Cid!"_

"_Shut your trap or I swear, I'll piss in it!"_

"_You couldn't piss your way out of a wet paper bag!"_

"_I'll bend you over my knee and whoop your behind with my spear!"_

"_Oo, I'm so scared!"_

I smiled to myself. The handgrips ended up working better than the ones I had originally wanted. I looked down at the one in my hand and shook my head before I tossed it aside and stood up.

What was left of the frame rested on its side several feet away. I walked over and yanked a piece of the fender off to retrieve one of the Butterfly Edges. But most of the serrated teeth had snapped off probably on impact. The blade was useless now so I tossed it aside.

From the corner of my eye I saw Reno jump out of the chopper and look around. I waited for him to make some kind of joke, but he didn't say anything and just watched me walk around to the other side of the frame. I picked it up and pushed it over on its other side so I could get to the other blades. The second Butterfly Edge and both Rune blades were destroyed. So much for getting my swords together.

"What about this one, Cloud?"

I turned to where Reno was standing on the other side of the chopper. He came around carrying my Organics blade. I took it from him and inspected the blade and handle. The frame was alittle bent, but I knew I could fix it so it would fit snugly on Apocalypse again. "Yeah, this one's fine."

Reno scratched the back of his neck and kicked at a rock. "Sorry about your bike, man. I know how much she meant to you."

I wanted to tell him he didn't know a damned thing about me, but I kept my mouth shut. He was just trying to be sincere and I needed to accept it. "Thanks." I glanced one last time at what remained of Fenrir before walking to the chopper door. "Let's go."

* * *

When we got back to Healin, I went straight to the apartment with my bag of stuff. 

Tifa immediately greeted me with a hug when I walked in the door. "Where did you go?"

"I went to see if I could salvage anything from my motorcycle."

"And?"

"Just one of my swords."

She pulled away and looked sympathetic. "Oh."

I held up the garbage bag. "I also went back to the school and got my clothes and some of your stuff, too."

Tifa followed me upstairs to my room and watched me empty the contents of the bag onto the bed. She snatched her teddy bear out of the pile and hugged it. Then she saw her underwear and quickly gathered all of them. "I'll go put these away." She started to walk away.

"Tifa." I waited for her to turn back and walked up to her. "Stay here with me."

She looked confused. "I was going to play with Samurai for alittle bit after I put my things away."

"No, I don't mean right now. Tonight…every night." I tilted her face up and kissed her. "I don't wanna sleep alone."

"What about…" she said as she kissed me back. "…the kids?"

"Don't worry about them. They don't know what's going on."

* * *

"Do you have bad dreams at night?" Marlene asked Tifa out of the blue while we were all sitting together having dinner. 

Tifa smiled at her. "Why do you ask, Marlene?"

"When I have bad dreams, sometimes I get in bed with papa. I thought you had a bad dream and that's why you slept in Cloud's bed last night."

All eyes were suddenly on me. Tifa, Aeris, Marlene and Denzel. I shoved a forkful of noodles into my mouth so I didn't have to respond.

"Don't be stupid, Marlene," Denzel finally said. "Tifa's not having bad dreams. Her and Cloud are having sex."

I opened my mouth and spit my food back on the plate after nearly choking on it.

"Denzel!" yelled Aeris.

"They are not!" Marlene shouted at him.

Denzel folded his arms angrily and looked at each of us. "I know all about sex. I'm not an idiot, you know."

The kid was twelve years old. How could he know anything about sex? I didn't even know anything about it until I left Nibelheim and I was almost sixteen at the time.

Marlene suddenly turned to me. "What's sex anyway?"

Thank the Gods Marlene didn't know. She was only nine.

I suddenly realized all eyes were on me. I stared back at everyone with my mouth open. They couldn't possibly think I was going to answer that question. I held up my wrist. "Wow, look at the time." I didn't even have a watch on. I quickly got up and headed for the doorway. "Talk to Aeris," I said to Marlene before walking out.

Let Aeris have that sex talk with the kid. It wasn't my responsibility.

* * *

I watched Cid's ship, the Shera, land smoothly on an open patch of land. As the engines died, I felt my stomach lurch at the recollection of all the times I had been forced to fly with the crazy pilot. He was good and all, but I still got sick as a dog. Both me and Yuffie emptied our stomachs too many times to count. 

The ramp came down in back and a few minutes later Cid came out riding the Hardy Daytona he promised to bring me. He stopped next to me and after setting the brake, he dismounted. "Here she is, kid."

I walked around the bike, inspecting it carefully. It wasn't as big or versatile as Fenrir, but it was something to get around in until I had the time to build another one.

"I replaced the oil tank, cuz it was dented and I gave her a tune-up."

"Thanks, Cid."

"Yeah, sure. No problem."

I mounted the Hardy and revved the engine, getting a feel for the machine I had once used to escape from the Shinra building. It purred like a kitten.

"So what's this I hear, you're banging some chick now?"

I looked up at him with a frown. "What?"

"Yeah, Barret told me."

"How the hell does Barret know what I'm doing?"

Cid grinned and pointed a finger at me. "Gotcha!"

"You two morons don't have a clue."

"You just confirmed it, pal. So who is she? Anyone I know?"

"None of your business."

"Yeah, it's someone I know. Is it Aeris?"

"Shut up, Cid."

"Nah, she's too busy doing Reno." He snapped his fingers. "It's that blonde Turk chick…what the fuck's her name…Lorraine, Eloise…Elena, that's it."

"I said shut up."

"Wait a minute, I got it. It's Tifa."

I rolled my eyes and looked away.

"Yup, it's Tifa. You're blushing like a little girl."

"I'll kick you in the fucking pills if you don't shut up."

Cid laughed so hard he was bent over.

I released the brake and spun the back tire, splattering the wet ground into Cid's face. As I took off, I laughed at the image in the side mirror…Cid spitting grass and mud out of his mouth. Served him right for being so nosey. I needed to remind myself to get back at Barret somehow for opening up his mouth. How the hell did he find out anyway? Who was the snitch around here?

* * *

I came back to the apartment pretty late, hoping the kids would be asleep so I wouldn't have to live through another awkward moment. 

The den was quiet and the lights were out.

I snuck into the kitchen to grab a bottle of beer from the fridge. As I stood in the open door, taking a long swig, something touched my ankles. I looked down and found Tifa's kitten rubbing himself on my boots. He looked up at me and cried.

"Shhh, quiet or you'll wake everybody up."

I picked him up and he was purring loudly as I cradled him in my arm. I kicked the refrigerator door closed and left the kitchen.

When I got upstairs, I poked my head in Marlene and Denzel's room. They were both asleep. I quietly stepped inside and placed Samurai on Marlene's bed. He immediately curled up at her side.

I walked out of their room and took another gulp from the beer bottle as I headed for my room. The door was closed. I opened it and walked inside before closing it behind me.

Tifa was lying in bed, facing the window. She was breathing steadily which meant she was asleep.

I quietly finished my beer and undressed down to my boxers.

As I crawled under the covers and slid up against Tifa's back, she stirred. I carefully slipped my arms around her from behind and kissed her bare shoulder.

"Where've you been?" she protested groggily.

"Just out riding." I kissed the side of her neck.

"I was waiting for you," she continued to protest half-heartedly.

"Shhh, go back to sleep." I nuzzled the back of her head and closed my eyes.

A minute later she was breathing quietly again.

* * *

_Please review! Thanks._


	20. One Chance

Author's Note – I know everyone's expecting action and I shall deliver as best as I can in the next couple of chapters. I'd like to add however that this story is first and foremost a love story and I plan to keep it that way. Hope there aren't any objections.

So let's get on with it…

Disclaimer – Oh yeah, every once in awhile I have to remind everyone that I make no profit in this. Cloud Strife and other characters and locations from _Final Fantasy VII_ and _Advent_ _Children_ are the property of Square-Enix.

**

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Chapter 20 – One Chance**

I surfed the TV channels, having gone through all 999 channels at least three times. Nothing caught my fancy…I wasn't really paying attention anyway because I was bored.

Barret had picked up Marlene and Denzel, just to get them out for awhile. Aeris went with them. They were going to the Gold Saucer and weren't coming back for a couple days. Tifa was with Rufus. I hadn't been invited and it irked the hell out of me.

I tossed the TV remote on the coffee table and leaned back with my arms folded.

Samurai bounced back and forth from one end of the room to the other, chasing invisible mice or whatever he thought he was seeing. I watched him for a few minutes, following him with my eyes. He changed direction and suddenly crawled up my leg, digging his claws in my pants.

"Owww, you stupid cat!"

He put his paws on my chest and came up to sniff my chin before meowing loudly.

I looked into his huge eyes and he stared back as if asking me what was wrong. For only three or four months old, this kitten sure was insightful. I reached for the bottle of beer I had been nursing for the last hour and took a swig, but it had sat too long and now it was warm. I held the bottle out to Samurai and he sniffed the end of it.

He meowed and bounced off my lap. Guess he didn't like beer.

I got up and started pacing. Maybe I could go for another ride on the Hardy and go as far as the Chocobo Farm. "Yeah, that's what I'll do." I grabbed my keys and left the apartment.

Tseng and Rude intercepted me on my way to the garage.

"The boss wants to see you," said Tseng.

"I'm going for a ride." I kept walking and they kept following.

"We've been ordered to carry you, if necessary," added Rude.

I laughed without humor. "Yeah, go ahead and try it. I'll introduce you to my fist."

"What's your problem today?"

"I don't have a problem. Just leave me alone."

"I know this place can get to you after awhile, but come on, Cloud."

"Don't make me repeat myself."

I went around the corner and music echoed down the corridor. As I got closer, I noticed a whiney voice was accompanying the music. I was about to pass the billiard room when I saw Tifa inside. I stopped in my tracks and Rude and Tseng nearly collided into me.

Tifa was talking to Rufus near the back windows.

I stepped into the room and started walking toward them. But something else caught my eye. Reno was singing to the music into a microphone and it made me stop and stare in astonishment at him.

"Don't you wish your girlfriend was hot like me. Don't you wish your girlfriend was a freak like me. Don't cha. Don't cha."

Rude and Tseng came to stand on either side of me to watch Reno.

"Don't you wish your girlfriend was raw like me. Don't you wish your girlfriend was fun like me. Don't cha. Don't cha." The redhead swayed his hips in a circle and then obscenely pumped his midsection in the air.

I frowned and turned to Rude. "Is he serious?"

"You have no idea."

I closed my eyes and shook my head at the absurd scene in front of me. This was the same guy who tried to kill me a dozen times last year. I turned and walked away, trying desperately to get the image out of my head of him gyrating his hips. Gods, that was gross!

Tifa looked irritated with Rufus. They both stopped talking as I came up to them.

"What's going on?" I asked.

She looked down with a shrug and shook her head. "Nothing."

Rufus's expression was as unreadable as usual. "We were discussing the color of the new Shinra guard uniforms."

I frowned at him. "Do I look like I just fell off a garbage truck?"

Shinra smirked but didn't say anything more.

"Rufus won't let me go visit my friends," Tifa blurted out. "This place is worse than the academy. Nothing to do."

I knew how she felt. But at least this place had facilities like a swimming pool, a game room and some other things to keep a person busy. I had already done all of it...at least twice. I tended to get bored easily. "Well, Tifa, I think Rufus is right." I couldn't believe I was agreeing with him for once.

She stared at me with a frown. She was going to argue with me, I could feel it coming.

Before she could say anything more, I turned back to Shinra. "We gotta do something, Rufus. We can't stay here forever."

"That's what I called you to discuss, Cloud." He glanced over at Rude and gave him a nod.

The big guy snapped his fingers and herded the non-essential personnel out of the room, including the bartender. All that remained besides me, Tifa and Rufus were Rude, Reno, Tseng and Elena.

Tseng went to the juke box and pulled the plug.

I glanced toward Reno.

Reno sang another verse before realizing the music had stopped and he angrily turned to Tseng. "'Ey! Plug that back in, dipshit!"

Rufus stepped toward the center of the room. "Knock it off, Reno."

I reached for Tifa's hand, but she pulled it away and went to sit at one of the card tables. Judging by her body language, legs crossed, arms folded across her chest…yeah, she was pissed at me again. So what else was new. I walked over and sat next to her.

Everyone took a seat at the other tables while Rufus remained standing.

"Since I haven't received any further communication from Mr Dalton, it looks as though I have no choice but to take matters into my own hands." Rufus turned to Tseng. "Your report?"

"We've combed every inch of the North Cave," said Tseng. "There was nothing there but a few monsters we had to dispatch. No signs of any human habitation."

I turned to Rufus. "What about the Forgotten Capital? Somebody could be hanging out in the underground cavern. They knew right away that Tifa and I were there."

"You made a call to Rufus," Elena chimed in. "They traced your cellphone signal."

"My phone's not traceable," I defended. "I paid a lot of gil to make sure that no…"

"Cloud," Rufus interrupted. "We're not dealing with an amateur. Floyd Dalton is a mastermind. If he wanted to trace an untraceable cell signal, he'd find a way."

Now he tells me? If I had known that from the beginning I wouldn't have used my cellphone at all. "You know, Shinra, I'm more than mildly disturbed by this. You told me to call you when we got to the Forgotten Capital. It almost sounds to me like you wanted the attack to come."

"I won't lie to you, Cloud. I greatly hoped you would have left one of them alive to be questioned."

Oh, this just got better and better. "So sorry to disappoint you. But thanks for that, cuz it got my motorcycle destroyed and nearly killed me." I tried to keep my voice under control. But what I wanted to do was get up and leave. Whatever made me think I could trust Shinra?

"I apologize. I know how much that motorcycle meant to you."

"No, you don't." So much for the control. "You don't know jack shit about me!"

"Take it easy, Cloud," said Elena.

I turned to look at her. "I should take it easy? This coming from the neurotic Turk who couldn't keep her mouth shut. Practically broadcasted everything you idiots were up to."

"How'd you like my foot up your ass?" she threatened.

"I'll remember that next time I'm constipated."

"Must we continue to dwell in the past?" Shinra interjected, his hands raised in a calming fashion, like that would pacify me.

"You're a lecherous snake, Shinra." I slammed my fist on the card table, causing stacks of playing chips to bounce around. "You'll use anybody, including your own sister, to get what you want. If I didn't know the person responsible for informing the reporter about your relation to Tifa, I would have thought you staged the whole thing yourself. So what the fuck else haven't you told us? Are you planning to resurrect Sephiroth to go against his former mentor?"

Rufus pressed his fingertips together in a steeple and stared down at his hands. "I don't censure your lack of trust in me." He looked up, his eyes focused on me. "But you must understand my position. I have no choice but to use whatever means are at my disposal to bring Dalton out of hiding."

"Well, I'm tired of being everyone's pawn. Everytime I turn around, I'm getting fucked in the ass. Not anymore. I'm leaving tonight and I'm taking Tifa with me."

"Cloud, you don't understand," said Shinra.

"Fuck you!" I angrily crossed my arms and looked away. My eyes drifted over to Tifa. Her anger toward me had turned into a look of concern. Now what? Maybe she was thinking she'd be better off here than with me.

"He wants what I cannot give him," Rufus continued.

I reached for Tifa's hand, about to ask her if she was afraid to go with me. But Rufus's next words ran my blood cold.

"He wants what's left of Jenova."

My eyes shot over to Shinra. "Wait a minute. There's more of that thing still around?"

He didn't respond, which confirmed the answer to my question. The lousy prick had Jenova remains stashed somewhere. To use for what?

"Who's Jenova?" asked Tifa.

I released Tifa's hand and leaned forward on the table. "So the cannon schematics, the location of the Promised Land…that's all bullshit."

"He did ask for those things, but I find it hard to believe that a man of Dalton's caliber would find any use for a cannon or hold any belief in a fabled land that only exists in our minds."

"Did he specifically say he wanted Jenova?"

"No, but it's all I have to give that's of any value to him. He's not interested in wealth or the destruction of cities. He wants to rule it all…just as Sephiroth did."

"How did he find out you still had pieces of it?" Something still didn't sound right to me. He was still hiding something.

"He helped us orchestrate the retrieval of the remains from the North Cave a few months ago. I made sure the pieces were kept separate. When Kadaj and his gang appeared a couple months ago, they didn't know there was more of Jenova left than just its head."

I wanted to laugh at the foolishness coming out of Shinra's mouth. "That's just brilliant."

"Will someone please tell me who this Jenova is?" Tifa asked in frustration.

Elena decided to do the honors. "Jenova was an extraterrestrial that crash landed on the planet in a meteor about two thousand years ago. It intended to infect everything with an insanity inducing virus. The victims at the time were the Cetra. Most of them fled, but some survivors remained to fight and defend the planet."

Tifa's surprised expression was almost comical.

Elena continued. "They managed to defeat Jenova and confined it in the fissure created by its landing. Professor Gast of Shinra Corp unearthed the mummified remains of Jenova, thinking he had found a Cetra. Gast was given authorization to conduct experiments on the cells. Thinking he could produce a Cetra, he combined the cells with the fetus of an unborn child. Sephiroth was the resulting product."

Tifa suddenly turned to me. "Cloud, you told me Professor Hojo injected you with Jenova cells."

"That's right. When Zack and I were held captive by him."

She looked alittle revolted. "So you have alien cells inside you?"

I really didn't want to have this discussion with her in front of everybody. I thought she had known about Jenova. Hopefully this wouldn't change anything between us. What if knowing I had alien cells in my body disgusted her? I turned to Shinra, wanting to steer the conversation back to the issue at hand. "Can we get back on track here? Where're you keeping the remains of Jenova?"

Rufus shook his head. "It's in your best interest that you don't know."

"Fine. Let's get this guy out in the open then."

"How?" asked Reno.

"He wants Rufus Shinra. I say we get him back out in the public. Someplace like the Gold Saucer."

"Yeah, sure, that's a great idea," he added sarcastically. "Why don't we all shave our heads, jump on the back of a moogle and dance around like fucking idiots?"

I ignored Reno's rant. "President Shinra visiting the Gold Saucer is big news to a lot of people. Especially if it involves the donation of a certain artifact to Dio's Show Room of Shit."

"Are you out of your mind?" blurted Tseng. "Rufus would be a sitting duck. We can't get enough guards to…"

Shinra held a hand up to silence Tseng. "What certain artifact are you referring to, Cloud?"

"A piece of Jenova."

He seemed to be mulling it over, rubbing his chin.

"Dalton doesn't know you know what he's really after, right?" I asked.

"I haven't given him the impression that I know."

"Perfect. He'll think it's an easy way to get what he wants."

"Or he'll be smart and think it's a trap," said Tseng.

"The asshole hasn't called with any threats for over a week. He wants Rufus to feel comfortable again. He's waiting for him to slip up. This is our chance to nail him."

"Cloud's right," said Shinra. "We'll have only one chance at this. We have to do it right."

Rude shook his head. "I don't understand what we're doing."

I frowned at him. "What don't you understand, dickhead? We're not breeding chocobos here."

Rufus walked toward my table, but turned to Elena. "Make arrangements to reserve the Presidential suite at the Gold Saucer for two days from today and inform Dio that I will be contributing a special Jenova artifact to his museum. Tseng, make sure the word gets out. I want to see it in the papers by tomorrow. Rude, besides you and Reno, I want you to pick ten guards to accompany us to the Gold Saucer."

"Ten?" Rude lowered his sunglasses down his nose. "Just ten?"

"Ten in uniforms. But I want another fifty in civilian clothes. They need to be scattered throughout the place before I arrive in two days. You're all dismissed," he added before sitting down next to me.

Tseng, Reno, Rude and Elena left the billiard room.

Rufus folded his hands on top of the table and turned to Tifa. "I'd like a word alone with Cloud, if you don't mind, Tifa."

"Don't have a choice, do I?" she replied. She reached up and turned my face toward her before she leaned over and kissed me on the mouth. Just to emphasis her rebellious nature, she sank her teeth on my lower lip and released it with a rough slurp. "See you back at the apartment."

Well, that was totally uncalled for. As she got up from the table and walked out, I awkwardly reached up to wipe my lip under Shinra's scrutiny.

"I have a difficult choice to make, Cloud."

"What's that?"

"If we allow Tifa to go to the Gold Saucer with us, we risk putting her life in danger."

"But if she stays behind, there's just as much risk that Dalton could have someone sneak in and take her."

"Precisely."

"Tifa comes with. I'll keep her safe."

Rufus nodded.

I frowned at him as a thought entered my mind. "What the hell're you still doing with pieces of Jenova?"

"Would you believe me if I told you I retrieved Jenova's remains from the North Cave so they could be disposed of properly?"

"Not for a second."

"We made major scientific breakthroughs in the past, all in conjunction to the creature's cells. There's so much more we can accomplish if given the opportunity to study the effects of the cells in a controlled environment."

"If it's not Dalton, then someone else is gonna step up and try to use the cells for the wrong reasons. Add some high doses of Mako to the mix and you got yourself a certifiable monster. Jenova's remains have to be destroyed, Rufus, you know it just as well as I do."

"Yes, Cloud. I'm well aware."

* * *

I walked into the apartment and searched for Tifa. She was upstairs in _our_ bedroom, lying on the bed, playing with Samurai.

I plopped myself down next to her on the bed and waited for her to look at me.

She continued to shake a string above the kitten, making him bounce around in a circle. "So I guess I'm not going to the Gold Saucer." She gave me a brief glance. "That _is_ what Rufus wanted to talk to you about, right?"

"Yes."

"When're you leaving?"

"In two days."

She frowned and clammed up for a moment as she teased Samurai with the string. Then she tossed it aside and turned to me angrily. "This is so not fair, Cloud. Why can't I go?"

I smiled at her. "Who said you're not going?"

Her expression instantly changed. "I'm going?"

"'Course you are."

Tifa got so excited, she crawled up on my back and started bouncing. "Woohoo! I'm going!"

I would have thought it felt good, if she wasn't pushing the air out of my lungs with each bounce.

She finally stopped moving and wrapped her arms around my neck from behind. "I've wanted to go there for the longest time. The chocobo races, the rollercoaster, the battle square, the gondola ride…You'll take me on the gondola, won't you?"

"We're not going there to have fun, Tifa. We're trying to catch a madman."

"I know, but can't we have just alittle fun?" She started licking my ear.

How could I possibly say no? "Maybe just alittle."

She sat up, straddled around my waist and slipped her hands under my teeshirt to scratch my back for a few minutes.

I closed my eyes. It felt so damned good.

"Cloud?"

My eyes popped open. I knew what was coming. She was going to question me about the Jenova cells Professor Hojo injected in me six years ago.

"Do the Jenova cells give you special abilities?" she asked as she continued to lightly scratch my back.

"Nothing really special. I'm a lot stronger than I would be without them. I can jump from certain heights without breaking any bones.

She got off my back and reclined on her side next to me. "So no hidden monsters in there anywhere?"

If she only knew what kind of creatures Vincent could turn into, she'd be pretty freaked out. I shifted over on my side to face her. "No. I'm exactly what you see." I scooted closer to her. "Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

"Yes."

"Good." I tilted her face up and kissed her. She opened her mouth and met my tongue halfway. Hell, if Rufus had told me Tifa would have to stay at Healin, I would have stayed with her. I didn't want her out of my sight for any length of time.

After several minutes of insatiable kissing, Tifa pulled away and rolled me on my back. She disappeared below my waist and worked on undoing my trousers.

My mind floated with disturbing thoughts of all that could go wrong at the Gold Saucer…Sephiroth's mentor…It wasn't going to be easy to get him, if in fact he came at all.

I closed my eyes as Tifa made me forget everything except the movement of her mouth on me.

_

* * *

Teeheehee…can you guess what's going on in that last part? Oh, and I hope you enjoyed Reno's karaoke attempt. I didn't pick the song. My hubby thought it would be funny if he sang it._

_Please review! Thanks._


	21. The Gold Saucer

Author's Note – Thanks for your reviews and sorry for the delay. For all you Final Fantasy 7 gamers out there, do you remember that crazy carnival-ish music that kept playing while at the Gold Saucer? Ugh! It drove me crazy! I hated the thought of going back there just because I couldn't stand listening to it. But those were some good times. I plan to stick to the exact layout of the Gold Saucer as it was in the game, but I may change a thing or two, depending on whether it's critical to move the story along.

Happy reading!

**

* * *

Chapter 21 – The Gold Saucer**

We left Healin in two helicopters. Reno flew the one carrying me, Tifa and Rufus. Rude piloted the second, much larger one carrying Elena, Tseng and ten guards in full Shinra uniform.

It would be a two hour flight to the Gold Saucer across the water.

The day before, Rude had made several trips to and from the Gold Saucer to drop off Shinra guards in plain clothes, just as Rufus ordered. They were there now, mingling with the rest of the park's visitors.

I wondered what Dio, the strange founder of the Gold Saucer, thought about the sudden increase in guests. Or maybe it didn't raise any red flags to him. The Gold Saucer was the only real establishment of entertainment in the world. Plus, with the word out that President Shinra would be there, people from all over would flock to the amusement park for a chance to see him. Hopefully Sephiroth's former mentor would take the bait and show up himself.

I really wasn't looking forward to seeing Dio. The man made me nauseatingly uncomfortable. Maybe it was his sleazy manner…or the fact that he felt completely at ease walking around in nothing but a red Speedo. He grossed me out! If his presence affected me like that, I wondered what young kids thought when they saw him for the first time. He was like a sick pervert who got a cheap thrill out of people, young and old, looking at him. If I could avoid him on this trip, it would be a miracle.

Tifa sighed beside me. "I hope Samurai will be all right."

Aeris and the kids had returned this morning and were surprised to learn that we were leaving for the place they had just come back from. Denzel and Marlene, of course, jumped at the chance to go back to the Gold Saucer, but Aeris shot the idea down quickly when I told her the reason we were going. I was glad she told the kids they couldn't go because I didn't want to be distracted from the real task.

The last time I was at the Gold Saucer with Denzel, we spent an entire day and a whole lot of gil in Wonder Square, playing Super Dunk and Virtual Battle. It was mainly my fault. He kept beating me. I was competitive and a sore loser. But I made up for it in Battle Square and won eight rounds against the captivity-raised monsters. I acted totally immature and rubbed it in Denzel's face that he was still too young to enter the Battle Square challenge. He didn't speak to me for two whole weeks after that.

"I wish I could have taken him with me," Tifa added.

I reached for her hand and squeezed it. "Don't worry, Tifa. Marlene will take good care of your kitten."

"I don't know. She seemed pretty upset that she couldn't come with us."

"She'll get over it."

"Denzel was even more upset. He told me he would rather go with you than Barret anytime."

"I know. Barret didn't play any games with him. If Denzel thinks I'm a sore loser, he should see Barret. The big guy's a crybaby when he loses." I pulled my phone out of my pocket and scanned through the missed calls. I had calls from Cid, Barret and Yuffie.

When I glanced at Tifa, she was turned away from me and was doing something I couldn't see. A minute later she turned back and gave me an chaste smile.

My cellphone rang and I looked at the display. It was Tifa. She had sent me a photo. I flipped my phone open and waited for the image to appear. My eyes widened when it came. It was a photo of her lying naked on the bed. I quickly slammed my phone shut and glared at her.

She continued to smile innocently.

I decided to text her because I didn't want to risk Rufus hearing our conversation. We spent the next few minutes texting back and forth.

Text to Tifa – _Who took the picture_

Text to Cloud – _I took it on my phone this morning_

Text to Tifa – _Where was I_

Text to Cloud – _Taking a shower I have more Want to see_

Text to Tifa – _No_

Text to Cloud – _Why not_

Text to Tifa – _Cuz I'll get a woody_

Text to Cloud – _Mmmmmmmmmm_

Text to Tifa – _Stop it_

Text to Cloud – _Make me_

Text to Tifa – _I'll spank you later_

Tifa giggled outloud and Rufus glanced over his shoulder at us. I put my phone away, wanting to make a funny face at him because I felt like I had gotten busted by my parents for looking at porn.

After Rufus turned to face forward again, I glanced at the black metal box resting on the floor between his feet. I was afraid to ask if there was actually a piece of Jenova in the box or if it was just a fake.

When this was all over, I'd force Rufus to destroy every last piece of the extraterrestrial's remains. It was just too dangerous having it around…and too tempting. If Zack hadn't gotten us out of Professor Hojo's laboratory when he did, I wondered what the injection of more Jenova cells in my system would have done to me. I had seen some disturbing things in the reactor in Nibelheim during the time Sephiroth went mad. There had been rows and rows of pods containing human specimens that had been exposed to high quantities of Mako and given high doses of Jenova cells. They had turned into hideous monsters.

Tifa reached for my hand and threaded her fingers with mine.

I turned to look at her and she mouthed 'I want you right now'. As much as I would have loved a quick romp in the back seat of the helicopter, I had absolutely no desire to do it in front of Reno and especially not in front of Rufus. I gave her my most reprimanding look, but I think it only fueled her even more because she licked her lips in a sensuous way. Shit, I created a monster. She was insatiable.

* * *

When we landed our helicopters on the platform outside the Gold Saucer entrance, there was a large group of people standing around waiting to catch a glimpse of Shinra. There was also a smaller group off to the side. That was our welcome committee. Dio was among them. 

Tifa waited her turn to get out of the helicopter and she walked next to me behind Rufus and Reno. She leaned closer to me. "Who's the guy in the red underwear?" she whispered.

"That's Dio. He's the guy in charge of this place."

She started to laugh and I shot her a warning look to keep her quiet.

I couldn't blame her. Dio looked ridiculous. Red Speedo, fake hair, fake moustache, fake tan. The only thing that looked real on the guy were his muscles. But then again, maybe they were fake, too.

We walked up to Dio, who was standing among four well-built bodyguards.

"Welcome, welcome," said Dio, a slimy smile plastered on his greased up face. "Always a pleasure to have someone of great importance at the Gold Saucer."

Rufus was hesitant to shake the man's hand, I could tell. But he did and then discreetly wiped it on the side of his slacks. "I would much appreciate it if we can see our accommodations. I need some time to prepare my speech."

"Yes, yes. Of course. My men will show you to your suite," Dio said with a solicitous grin and motioned to his men to lead Shinra away.

Reno, Rude, Tseng and Elena fell behind them and following them were the ten Shinra guards.

I glanced around, wondering how close the guards out of uniform were. None of the faces in the crowd looked familiar, but I wasn't good at remembering faces anyway unless I had a reason to.

Dio's gaze fell on me before I had a chance to walk away. "Ha ha ha. I remember you, boy. Ha ha ha."

I cringed at him calling me 'boy'. I should have put on my goggles after hopping out of the helicopter. Maybe he wouldn't have recognized me.

He knew better than to shake my hand and didn't attempt it. "Perhaps you can entertain us in Battle Square later. Hmmmm? We have plenty of consolation tissues. Ha ha ha."

His laugh really annoyed me as much now as it did back when I was chasing after Sephiroth and had to stop here on the way to Gongaga. Even though it was only a year ago, it seemed like a lifetime and I had gained a lot of fighting experience since then. "I'm more in the market for new materia," I replied.

"Oh, we have plenty of that. Yes, yes, we do. I think a Quadra Magic will interest you, yes?"

Quadra Magic materia was very rare. It quadrupled the power of any spell caste against an enemy. I wondered how Dio got a hold of it. "Yeah, I'm interested. Maybe I'll take you up on a Battle Square challenge."

Dio looked at Tifa next. "And who is this lovely young flower?"

I turned to Tifa and noticed her eyes were focused below the man's waist. She was staring at his Speedo. Dio was about to touch her face. I grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her behind me before facing Dio again. "Don't even think about it, Dio. She's taken."

"Ha ha ha. By whom? By you, boy?"

I was done trying to be cordial with this fruitcake. "That's right. And I thought I told you the last time I was here to stop calling me boy." I didn't realize my grip on Tifa's wrist had tightened until she began to squirm behind me. I loosened my grip. "The name's Cloud. Call me boy again and I'll castrate you where you stand."

His grin fell just a hair, but it came back quickly. "As you wish, Cloud. Enjoy your stay."

I held his gaze for a moment longer, just to intimidate him. He pretended he wasn't, but I saw the sweat forming on his forehead. Why did I get the impression that Dio was going to be trouble? I pulled Tifa with me as I walked away.

She fell in beside me when we entered the tunnel into the park. "He gives me the creeps."

I gave her a side glance and decided to tease her a bit. "I saw you checking out his goods."

"What?" She glared at me in anger. "I wasn't checking out his goods. I was just trying to figure out why he thought he could get away with walking around half-naked like that."

"Cuz he thinks he's all that."

She wrapped her arms around my left one and leaned closer. "I think I'll buy you a Speedo."

"I won't wear it." I meant it, too. Maybe I was more humble about myself than I needed to be. As a kid, I was small and weak. I was still shorter than I wanted, but I wasn't weak anymore. My childhood insecurity still made me feel self-conscious and I tended to wear baggy clothes because of it. A Speedo was totally out of the question. I wouldn't be caught dead in one.

Tifa giggled. "Not even for me."

"If we're alone, maybe."

We came out of the tunnel into the familiar lobby with the large map and the circular entrances to each section of the park.

Tifa grabbed my hand and started pulling me forward. "Oh, Cloud, let's go to Wonder Square."

I reined her in and pulled her toward the Ghost Square. "Not yet, Princess. We can't just go gallivanting around. Dalton could be watching us."

She sighed heavily and allowed me to push her into the Ghost Square chute.

I jumped in after her. I wondered whose idea it was to make those stupid chutes to get around the different attractions in the park. Tifa was laughing like a little kid during the five-second tube ride.

When it ended, I was tossed on my feet right next to Tifa.

She looked warily at the dilapidated looking mansion on the small hill in front of us. "That's the hotel? Looks eerie."

I smirked. "Are you scared?"

"No."

I took her hand and led her up the path, watching her expression as her eyes caught sight of the tombstones on either side. While she stared intently at a scary looking statue, I leaned toward her ear. "Boo!"

She screamed and punched my arm. "You asshole!"

I laughed and she punched my arm again.

When we walked into the hotel lobby, Rude walked up to us.

"You're sharing a room with Elena," Rude said as he handed Tifa a key.

She immediately looked at me.

Rude handed me another key. "And you're bunking with me and Reno."

I frowned. "Is this some kind of joke?" My eyes wandered over to Rufus who happened to look right at me, a smile on his face as he headed up the creaky staircase. The bastard planned it this way. He was trying to keep Tifa and I apart. I wasn't going to let that happen.

After Rude walked away, Tifa turned back to me. "Cloud, I don't want to share a room with Elena," she complained. "I want to stay with you."

"Don't worry. I'll fix it later." I took her hand. "Come on."

We headed upstairs and walked into Rufus's room, having to weave through the ten guards along the way. Reno, Rude, Elena and Tseng were already there.

Rufus smiled again as Tifa and I approached. "Hope you like the accommodations, Cloud."

"You're a real funny guy, Shinra." Just to piss him off, I plopped down on his bed and leaned against the headboard, not bothering to take off my boots. "I think I'll just stay in this room." The Presidential suite was pretty nice and didn't have as many spooky decorations as all the other rooms.

A few minutes later there was a commotion out in the hall, followed by a loud argument. I recognized one of the voices. It was Cid.

"Out of my way!" he grumbled before walking into the room with Barret and Yuffie. "Dumbass!" he yelled over his shoulder.

Rufus blinked in surprise and immediately turned to me. "Did you call them?"

"'Course I did," I replied coolly. "You're gonna need all the help you can get."

He looked skeptical. I knew he tolerated me because he knew I would finish whatever job he gave me. But the rest of AVALANCHE? Well, there was no love loss between them.

Barret came up, his huge gun arm cocked and ready to fire. "Just so's you know, we ain't doin' this for you, Shinra. It's for Tifa and Cloud."

Shinra held his hands up defensively. "Good enough for me."

"So when're we getting this fucking party started?" Cid came up beside Barret, a cigarette dangling off his lower lip. "I am ready to kick some demented ass!"

I pointed to Rufus. "It's Shinra's show." Out of the corner of my eye I watched Yuffie pickpocket Rude. She saw me catch her and gave me a wink. I rolled my eyes. What the hell was I thinking when I invited her? At least Cid and Barret focused on the job. The little ninja from Wutai only had eyes for whatever materia she could get her sticky fingers on.

Vincent appeared almost out of thin air and grabbed her wrist before she could slip the wallet into her shorts. She gave him a disgruntled glare. He snatched the wallet out of her hand and turned to an oblivious Rude.

Rude looked down at the item Vincent had slapped against his chest. "Hey!"

Yuffie grumbled as Vincent dragged her to join Cid and Barret. She glanced around. "Isn't Aeris coming?"

I shook my head. "She stayed behind at Healin with Marlene and Denzel."

"Well, that sucks," she spouted. Then she smiled in Tifa's direction. "Hi, Tifa. Long time no see."

Rufus snapped his fingers in Rude's direction.

Rude cleared his throat before bellowing, "Everyone shuddup!"

The room immediately went quiet.

"Thank you, Rude." Rufus looked around. "Now that I have everyone's attention, let's see if we can put alittle organization in the next couple of days." He turned toward my AVALANCHE team. "We need to work together if we're going to be successful. I have a philosophy I like to live by. Allow me to explain it…"

I pinched the bridge of my nose, feeling a headache coming on. There he went again, belching out crap I was more than certain nobody wanted to hear. Not even his own people. When was he going to learn that you didn't need all these words to get your point across? Ah, hell…it was time for my nap anyway.

* * *

If I wasn't so adamant about finding Dalton, I would have been snoring like the guy next to me. I was sitting in the back row of the auditorium in Event Square. This was where they held all those boring performances people raved about. Aeris made me participate in a play once against my will. I just stood there, staring out at the audience, unable to remember any of my lines. Then the guy playing the Knight pissed me off and I clobbered him. The crowd cheered, but Aeris yelled at me for ruining her five minutes of fame. 

Rufus was on stage, lecturing on the whole Jenova incident. He occasionally gestured toward the item on a small table next to him. It looked like an elbow, or a knee. I couldn't tell, but it was disgusting. My only thought was, how did Jenova's body end up in pieces? I mean, I knew how it lost its head. Sephiroth had decapitated the thing back in Nibelheim when he thought Jenova was his mother. It goes to show how truly insane he was. If I had found my mother, I wouldn't have taken her head off. Dumbass.

Some people seemed to be interested in hearing the story behind the grotesque piece of flesh. Others were bored, like the snoring guy to my left.

Also on stage, off to the left were Dio and his four henchmen. Standing closer to Rufus were Reno, Rude and Tseng.

I glanced around and spotted Tifa. She was seated between Barret and Vincent. Behind them were Yuffie and Cid. I was more than confident she was safe with my team. They wouldn't let anything happen to her.

Just then Elena appeared on stage and discreetly walked over to whisper something to Tseng. He quickly followed her off the stage and out one of the side doors.

I got out of my seat and decided to follow them.

Just outside the doorway, I found Tseng and Elena kneeling beside three dead Shinra guards. They were cut up by what looked like a sharp weapon. My first thought was Sephiroth's Masamune. But there was something about the wounds that made me rule out the long, thin sword. The wounds looked more like they had been made by one of my swords. Which couldn't be because both Apocalypse and Organics were safely tucked in the harness strapped to my back.

"You better check with the rest of your people," I suggested to Tseng and Elena. "It's time to end the lecture."

Just then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flash of black and silver falling behind me from a ceiling beam. I turned around, my eyes widening at the familiar face suddenly standing in front of me. The hair, the eyes, the stance…

"Zack…" I whispered, unable to believe my own eyes.

But it couldn't be. Zack was dead. He died right in front of me.

"Good to see you again, Cloud." He reached over his shoulder to retrieve a buster sword hanging from his back. It wasn't the same one I had used as a grave marker where Zack had died. That sword was rusted. The sword he held in his hands was new and looked slightly modified.

I reacted too slow as he advanced on me, ready to swing. If I hadn't tripped on my own feet, he would have taken my head off.

_

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Please review! Thanks._


	22. It's Suicide

Author's Note – It's been awhile since I updated. This is a crucial chapter that sets the stage for some serious angst and I must warn you there will be two character deaths. You'll have to read it to find out who it is. No flames, please. You'll also notice Cloud isn't so funny in the next couple chapters because of what's happening.

**

* * *

Chapter 22 – It's Suicide**

I didn't have time to dwell on how Zack could possibly be alive…or why he was suddenly trying to kill me. After I tripped and ducked the swing of his buster sword, I rolled several feet away and got up. Pulling both Apocalypse and Organics from the harness at my back, I turned to face Zack.

He took a couple steps and stopped, his buster sword held ready for attack. "Nice weapons, kid. I bet your fighting skills have improved since SOLDIER."

I blinked in confusion. If this was Zack and he had come back from the Lifestream, then he would have known about all my trials and tribulations throughout the last few years. He would have known what I was capable of. "You're supposed to be dead, Zack," I stated in a matter-of-fact way. "Couldn't handle the pressure in the Lifestream?"

_It's not me, Cloud. This guy's a fake._

The voice spoke to me in my head, the way it normally did. It was Zack's usual upbeat tone. But the voice couldn't hold a lengthy conversation and I had a million questions. So if this person in front of me wasn't Zack, then who was he?

I glanced toward Tseng and Elena, who were both impossibly frozen in half raised positions near the dead Shinra guards. Zack must have used a Vagyrisk Claw to petrify them. If I had any Soft potion on me I would have used it to unpetrify the two Turks.

Zack relaxed his stance and began to circle. "What're you doing working for Shinra?"

I kept my distance, circling in the opposite direction, holding my weapons ready.

"After what they did to us, Cloud?" he seethed. "How could you even breathe the same air as them?"

"I'm not working for Shinra. Besides, it's not like that anymore." Again, if this was Zack from the Lifestream, then he would have known things were not the same as they were when Rufus's father was in charge. "President Shinra is dead and Rufus is trying to make things right. But you should already know that, Zack."

"I get the impression you don't trust me. I'm deeply hurt, Cloud."

_Cloud, I told you, that guy isn't me._

"I know! Will you shut up for a minute?" I told the voice in my head.

"Fine," said the fake Zack. "We don't have to talk at all. Besides, I'm here to fight."

"You're working for him, aren't you?"

We continued circling and I got a chance to really look at him.

"Him?" Zack smiled that dazzling smile that used to make all the girls swoon.

The first thought that came to me was that this guy was a clone. A growth-accelerated clone. He looked like Zack, talked like him, moved like him…even acted like him. Could a clone be so exact? Looks and speech…yes. But not mannerisms. This clone had obviously seen videos of Zack and learned all of his mannerisms. As for how he could have known what Zack and I had gone through, well…he could have seen Professor Hojo's reports. Floyd Dalton would have had access. Then I noticed a small black patch on the side of his neck. It looked like the ones they used in SOLDIER to govern discipline. "You know who I'm talking about."

"Oh, you must mean General Dalton."

From the corner of my eye I saw Tseng and Elena slowly regaining movement. The Vagyrisk Claw effects were wearing off. I needed to keep Zack distracted so they could get away and warn the others. "_General_ Dalton? When did he get a promotion?"

Zack shrugged. "I didn't ask."

"For him to be a general, then he must still be in SOLDIER. And last time I checked, SOLDIER reported to Shinra." I made a tiny move with my head, trying to get the attention of the Turks.

"It's a new branch and Dalton's in charge of it."

I lunged at Zack just as Tseng and Elena made a quick escape.

Zack blocked my double-handed attack and tossed a Vagyrisk Claw in their direction. The spell missed the Turks and hit the wall. He did a backward flip, landing several feet away from me. "Very clever."

I didn't know what other items he had stashed away, but I did notice the materia on his weapon. Yellow and green…Command and Magic. Even though I didn't see any red Summon materia, it didn't mean he wasn't carrying one in his pocket. I had my handy dandy Ifrit, but I wouldn't use it in such a public place where innocent bystanders could get caught in the Hellfire.

Just then there were screams coming from inside the theatre. And a second later a stampede of people charged out of the three theatre doorways. Shadow Creepers were coming out of the walls and the floors. I saw Cid twirling his harpoon to spear one and it disintegrated. Vincent took several careful shots at Shadow Creepers trying to drag people away.

A woman and a small boy were trapped in a corner, a Shadow Creeper ready to pounce on them. Reno charged forward and twirled his baton, smashing the creature on the side of the head. It evaporated into dust. The woman gave him a grateful look before grabbing her child and running off.

Amidst the panicked crowd was Rufus, quickly being escorted out by Rude, Tseng and Elena.

I tried to keep my eyes on Zack, but at the same time watched the crowd emptying out of the theatre. Barret was shooting his gun arm at any approaching Shadow Creepers, his other arm holding Tifa. I turned my head for only a second, to make sure Tifa was safe.

Zack attacked, swinging his buster sword. I blocked him with both of my swords. He raised a knee and slammed it into my ribs. I let out a grunt and using the clashing swords for leverage, I spun myself out of the way, landing a few feet away. There wasn't time to breathe. Zack jumped up and came down on me. I held both swords up against his buster and fell to my knees from the impact.

When Zack moved, I dragged Organics away and swung it low. Zack jumped up before I could slice his ankles. I pulled myself up and received a kick in the chest, sending me flying backward.

I skidded to a stop several feet away and got up as he rushed forward. We clashed swords, back and forth…blow after blow. From the corner of my eye, I watched Barret grab Tifa by the waist and drag her away before she could run toward me. He followed the others out of the area.

Zack swung and clipped my arm. I spun and caught him in the hip with Apocalypse. He yelled out in pain and threw something.

In the next instant, I was surrounded by yellow smoke. It smelled like sulfur and got into my nose. I fell forward on my hands and knees and coughed violently. It would have been the perfect time for him to cut me down. But when I looked around, Zack was gone. I coughed again and lurched the contents of my stomach. So much for the great breakfast Aeris made us.

As the smoke dissipated, I pulled myself up and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. I glanced around and was grateful to see no people had been killed by the Shadow Creepers. The only bodies I saw were the three Shinra guards that had been killed earlier. Judging by the slashes on them, Zack had been the one who dealt the killing blows.

I looked at my left arm. Blood was dripping from a four inch cut. It was nothing. I had worse. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called Barret.

"Yeah, Spike," he replied after the first ring.

"Is Tifa safe?" I asked as I walked toward the transportation tubes.

"She's with me right now. We're headed for the airstrip."

"Where's Rufus?"

"Right behind me."

"I'm on my way." I shut my phone and put it back in my pocket as I jumped into the tube leading to the tram station.

When I was thrown out of the tube, I met a wall of people. Everyone was panicking and trying to pile into the tram.

Dio, with several of his goons surrounding him, was trying to restore order. "Please, everyone. There's no need to leave the Gold Saucer. Everything is under control. Go back and enjoy what you were doing.

I couldn't see over the heads of the crowd, so I climbed up on a planter. Yuffie and Tifa were walking together, following behind Rufus, Reno and Rude. Behind the girls was Cid, Barret and Vincent. Tseng and Elena reached one of the choppers first. I glanced around for Shinra uniforms. Where were the guards? And were the undercover guards among the crowd trying to get out in the air tram?

The sound of a helicopter reached my ears above the chaos all around me. It hovered near the edge of a platform. Someone on a mechanical wheelchair was moving toward the helicopter. Just then the Zack clone jumped out and an explosion followed.

I instinctly hit the ground. People screamed and were running around in a panic. I quickly got back on my feet and back on the planter to assess the damage. It was one of the Shinra helicopters that exploded and was still burning. A bomb had gone off. Tseng and Elena had been inside. There was no way they could have survived.

As the smoke cleared, I saw the others. Everyone was on the ground, scattered haphazardly from the blast. No one was moving. _Dear Gods, please…don't let them be dead._

The Zack clone jumped down from the higher platform and was making his way toward the others.

I hopped off the planter and began pushing my way through the crowd. Hands were grabbing at me, people screaming in my face. I focused on my path, pushing people out of the way. Through the gaps, I saw the Zack clone reach Rufus, who was lying on the ground. He bent down and took the box from Shinra's hands.

Zack was about to walk away when something caught his eye.

I followed his gaze. Tifa was moving. She rolled on her hands and knees and started to get up. "No!" I yelled and shoved people out of the way, knocking them down, maybe hurting them. But I didn't care. I needed to get to Tifa before Zack did.

Zack saw me coming and he bolted toward Tifa. He grabbed her around the waist. She fought him, kicking and clawing. Zack slammed his elbow into her face and knocked her out cold.

I was seeing red. I was going to kill him! But just as I managed to get out of the panicked crowd, the helicopter reappeared, picking up Zack and his burden. It was gone in a flash, leaving me standing there, watching it disappear into the night.

* * *

Cid's airship had survived the nearby blast. We were all inside the main cockpit, each of us lost in our own thoughts and nursing whatever injuries were received from the explosion. 

Yuffie had a bruise on the side of her face and insisted on bandaging my arm. I tolerated it, only because I was glad she was still alive.

I glanced toward a corner. Rude was leaning against the wall while Reno was pacing like a caged animal. They lost two of their partners. I had no love for any of the Turks. Over the last couple of years, I lost count of the number of times we tried to kill each other. And now I felt bad that Tseng and Elena were gone.

Vincent stood brooding near the glass floor ahead. I could never tell what the ex-Turk was thinking.

Cid was silent for once as he flew the airship, but he always had a cigarette in his mouth and a halo of smoke surrounded him.

Standing just to his left was Barret, his face frozen in a scowl, his gun arm aimed at the floor. Every once in awhile the big guy would look in my direction, like he was afraid I'd pounce on him for not protecting my girlfriend. I was just glad to see him alive. Besides, it wasn't his fault. If the Shinra helicopter hadn't exploded, Barret would have made sure Zack never got anywhere near Tifa.

When Yuffie finished bandaging my arm, I gave her a half smile. "Thanks, Yuffs." She walked away and I slid down the wall to sit on the floor. I looked up just as Rufus was walking in my direction. His usually impeccably white suit had black char marks from the explosion and a corner of it had actually burned away.

He crouched beside me and waited for me to look up at him. "The Jenova tissue wasn't real."

"Well that's a comforting thought. What happens to Tifa when Dalton finds out?"

"It may take him awhile to discover it."

I looked away, my head spinning with disturbing images of what they could be doing to Tifa. I couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her. "He was a fake."

"I know. Zack Fair is dead, which means the one you were fighting is a clone."

I met Shinra's eyes. "How did they do it? It's not possible unless they had…" I trailed off as I realized I knew the answer to my own question. "SOLDIER blood samples."

"Dalton worked closely with Hojo."

"So they could clone whoever they want. They could clone Sephiroth. They could clone _me_!"

"I don't think Dalton is in the market to produce clones."

"I saw him. Just before the helicopter exploded. He was in a wheelchair."

"A wheelchair? Are you sure it was Dalton?"

"His face matched the one in the picture you showed us. It was him."

"That explains the Zack clone."

I frowned. "Whatta you mean?"

"Dalton obviously can't fight any of his own battles."

"There was a patch on the side of his neck, like the kind they used in the SOLDIER academy."

"A Capitulation Patch?"

"Yeah, that's it."

Shinra rubbed his chin. "Interesting. Makes me wonder if Dalton has complete control of his clone."

"What're we gonna do about Tifa? The longer we sit on our asses, the more that fucking bastard could do to her."

Shinra pulled out his cellphone and made a call. "Yes, do you have a location?...Got it." He put his phone away with a smile. His sister had been kidnapped by dangerous people. What the hell could he have to smile about?

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Tracking device. I finally know the location of their hideout."

"Tracking device?" I got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Would he have done it hoping she'd be kidnapped so he could find out where Dalton was holed up? "Don't tell me you purposely set Tifa up with a tracking device."

He gave me an amused frown. "Of course not. The tracking device is inside the fake Jenova tissue."

"This was all part of your plan, wasn't it?" I asked through clenched teeth. I wanted to take a swing at him, knock his stupid ass out of the airship.

"Cloud, listen to me. I had no idea it was going to come down like this. Do you really think I wanted anyone to get hurt? Or Tifa to be taken?"

I was still fuming. "How was it supposed to go down?"

"When the Jenova tissue was placed in Dio's museum, I hoped Dalton would make his move then."

"I think he wants to see you dead…regardless whether he has a piece of Jenova or not."

"I agree wholeheartedly." He stood up and turned around. "Captain Highwind."

"What the hell do you want?" Cid replied sourly without raising his voice like he normally did.

"Are you familiar with the islands northeast of here…between Round Island and Goblin Island?"

"I know every landmark on this planet. What's your fuckin' point?"

"Set a course, Captain. That's our destination."

I got up and followed Shinra to a computer terminal.

He sat down and was on his phone again. "Do you have the schematics yet?" He logged into the Shinra Corp site, having to enter a special code every few seconds as he accessed different places. "Almost there…Okay, I'm in."

The three dimensional skeletal image of a compound appeared on the screen.

As Shinra hung up his phone, the others, except Cid, all gathered behind him, looking over his shoulders at the computer screen.

"What is this, Shinra?" barked Barret.

"This is Floyd Dalton's lair." Rufus pointed as he spoke. "Perimeter fence, probably electrified and motion sensored. Four floors above ground, six below. Judging by the size of these rooms on sublevels three and four, maybe prison cells. Could be where he keeps his experiments."

"And probably where he's keeping Tifa," added Vincent.

"How'd you get these schematics anyway?" asked Yuffie. "What've you got floor plans of every building in the world?"

"Not exactly," replied Shinra. "Let's just say I have a spy in the sky that can take the appropriate images I need to determine the schematics of a particular compound."

Yuffie looked confused.

"Satellite," I told her.

Barret raised his gun arm. "I say we bust through the fence with a truck and start blowin' the goddamned shits all away."

"A ground assault is too obvious," said Rude. "They'll know we're coming."

Rufus turned around in his chair. "Rude is right. An air assault would be the best method and we need to hit them hard and fast."

I grabbed Yuffie by the wrist and dragged her away with me.

"Hey, what's the big idea?!"

I led her to a metal box where I knew she kept her materia. "Hook me up, Yuffs."

She stared at me with her mouth open. "You want my materia?"

"I'll replace whatever I lose. I promise."

Yuffie crouched down in front of the box and punched in a code on the lock. After opening the lid, she looked up at me.

I crouched down beside her and starting sifting through the magic balls. Fire, Lightning, Comet, Deathblow, Poison, Ice, Earth, Shield. I took them all and armed them in my wrist guards and on my weapon. In my pocket was the Ifrit Summon I had yet to use. Maybe today would be the day.

Cid put the ship on Autopilot after setting the coordinates and walked over to the others. "If we get too close, they'll know we're coming."

"We'll remain at cruising altitude," suggested Rufus. "Let them think we're a cargo plane."

"Oh yeah?" snorted Cid. "And how do you think we're gonna infiltrate without parachutes?"

I walked over. "I can do it."

All eyes turned to me like I had just told them the world was flat.

"That's twenty thousand feet," said Reno. "You'll be flat as a pancake when you hit the ground."

Cid held up his hands and looked at everyone. "Any of you dumbasses have Jenova cells in you?"

I raised my hand, knowing no one else would be raising theirs.

"Yeah, that's one. Then the rest of you shuddup!"

* * *

The panel near the steering column beeped. 

I glanced toward our crazy pilot who was snoring away in a nearby seat and got up to stretch my legs.

Rude walked over to Cid and gave him a shake. "Come on Highwind, wake up. Your ship's calling you."

Cid mumbled something under his breath.

"Let's go. Rise and shine."

The pilot sat up, a grumpy look on his face. "I can rise and I can shine, but not at the same time, assface." He turned toward me, giving me a nod to get ready.

I started walking toward the door leading to the outer walkway.

"This is suicide, Spike," snarled Barret.

How many times had I heard that before?

Rufus followed me outside as I walked to the reiling.

The airship was moving fast and the wind whipped my hair and clothes around.

"Go back inside, Rufus, before you get blown overboard."

"Wallace is right. This is suicide, Cloud."

"I'm going alone. Don't try to talk me out of it."

"I know you don't want to risk the lives of your friends, but this job is too big for just one person."

I looked up at him and he gave a noticeable flinch. It was the same reaction I got from anyone who looked at my eyes in the darkness, especially when I was steaming on the inside. I imagined they were glowing eerily. "I'm getting Tifa out of there. No one's going to stand in my way."

Rufus gave a nod. "Okay, Cloud." He backed away.

I turned to look over the reiling, seeing the landmass below. With my weapons strapped firmly to the harness at my back, I placed a hand on the reiling and hurdled myself over the side.

_

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I know I said Cloud isn't going to fly in my story. It's not exactly flying, as much as it is falling. You'll see._

_Please review. Thanks!_


	23. Escape

Author's Note – This story is finally coming to an end. One more chapter after this one. I want to again thank everyone for reviewing and making me laugh…and inspiring me, of course. Just a small warning, Cloud is pretty lethal and violent in this chapter. He has no qualms about taking care of the bad guys. Hope you enjoy!

**

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Chapter 23 – Escape**

I was falling pretty fast and it was a long way down. The air I whipped through was freezing cold. My teeth were chattering violently and the wind threatened to rip the clothes right off me.

As the landmass became larger, I closed my watering eyes and concentrated. I could feel my body temperature increase, felt the blood running through my veins…the alien cells of Jenova among them…my bones were light as a feather, just like a bird.

I opened my eyes and stretched my arms out on either side, tumbling head over heels to complete a four-roll somersault in the air before landing on one bent knee on the rooftop of the complex. The floor beneath me cracked a bit from the impact. Not a scratch on me, I thought proudly to himself.

But there wasn't time to dwell on my personal accomplishment. I immediately jumped up and sprinted toward the door leading down into the building.

At the other end of the rooftop, I noticed a startled guard rushing over to investigate, his rifle cocked and ready to fire.

I pulled Apocalypse from my harness and swung the sword at the guard as he appeared from around a corner. The guard didn't even see me as I sheered his head from his neck.

Keep going. Don't stop for anything. Not time for remorse.

Without missing a beat, I moved to the door. As I swung it open and bolted down the stairs, several guards were disturbed by my sudden appearance. They aimed their rifles and let loose a rain of bullets.

I blocked the oncoming bullet storm with my weapons before calling up a Shield spell. The bullets bounced off the invisible barrier surrounding me. In a split second, I attached Organics to Apocalypse, freeing my left hand. Summoning the magic from the green materia embedded in my wrist guard, I sent a wall of fire at the five guards blocking my way at the foot of the stairway.

The high-pitched screams of the burning guards echoed down the corridor, alerting the rest of the force. I was going to have more company soon.

No time to dwell on it.

I charged down the stairs, jumping the last six steps before turning down the next flight. Bullets came at me from above. I paused to shoot more fire balls. Screams followed, but no more bullets. More guards appeared below me. Time to lower the temperature. I aimed my fists and summoned the Ice spell. The three guards below turned into ice cubes.

I jumped over them and continued down the stairs. Two more floors before the sublevels.

Several guards were blocking the next stairway. I forgot I had also grabbed a Manipulate materia. I focused on the guard ahead of the others. His eyes went wide before he spun around reluctantly and sprayed his automatic at the other men behind him. Then he turned the gun on himself. Gotta love that Manipulate spell.

Sub-level three was a tunnel of death. In every corner, someone wailed in pain from injuries I inflicted that would prove fatal in the end. Too bad. They chose the wrong side to be working for.

Vincent once referred to me as a virtual killing machine…because nothing stood in my way when I was determined and focused. This was one of those times. I had only one objective…get Tifa out.

I passed a sink with a mirror on the wall, pausing to retrace one step. As I looked in the mirror, a pair of incandescent, aqua and green colored eyes glowed inhumanly, piercing the darkness surrounding me. So this was what others saw when they looked at me.

Pretty frightening.

I moved forward and reached a pegboard, staring at a piece of paper pinned there. My finger trailed down the list of names, stopping at the one in Cell Number 3-14.

Tifa Lockhart.

The sound of running footsteps reached my ears, followed by a hail of bullets. Stupid fools didn't know when to quit. Didn't they know I'd kill them without prejudice? I turned to face the approaching guards and threw both fists out in front of me. Lightning shot from my knuckles, hitting the guards and locking them in a bizarre, shuddering death dance before they finally fell to the ground.

I jogged toward the dead guards, briefly disturbing the smoke rising from them as I leapt over their charred bodies. My eyes quickly scanned the heavy wooden doors. There were no numbers on them. Nor anywhere on the stone walls. How was I going to know which cell she was in? "Tifa!" I called out desperately.

In the midst of crackling human flesh and pitiful cries of the dying, I heard a faint voice. It was lethargic and full of pain. In desperation I began kicking in doors, my heavy boots successfully cracking the wood around the locks.

I considered myself to be pretty impervious to the gore of battle, but what I found in some of the rooms made me want to retch. And there was hardly much in my stomach to begin with. Mutilated, disfigured bodies…mutated human beings…maimed and forced to remain alive. It was revolting.

I paused in the dark corridor, sucking in air in huge gulps. What would I discover when I found Tifa? What condition would she be in? I squeezed my eyes in unrequited rage and let out a frustrated growl. No, I wasn't going to give up hope.

"Cloud…" the voice called again, followed by a desolate sob.

I jumped back into action and followed the voice to a door at the end of the corridor. "Tifa!" I proceeded to bash the wood with my boot. The door broke free of the lock and swung open.

What I found brought a huge lump to my throat. I was both relieved and furious at the same time. Relieved that Tifa still had all her limbs, but furious to see the condition she was in. She was stripped down to her underwear and filthy. I could see deep, bloody gashes on her back, like she had been whipped.

Tifa was silently sobbing when I crouched down and gently lifted her upper body. She didn't have the strength to pick herself up.

I cradled her head to my chest. "Tifa…" I couldn't control my own tears as I bent to press my face against hers. "I'm here, baby. It's okay." I kissed her face repeatedly, ignoring the filth and blood streaking her skin. Just to convince myself, as I held her to me, my hands traveled up and down both her arms and legs, making sure they were still attached and that nothing was broken. "I'm getting you out."

With my arm around her back, I slipped my other arm under her knees and lifted her up. She screamed in agonizing pain. I knew I was hurting her, but there just wasn't any time for me to assess her injuries. "I'm sorry, Teef. I know it hurts."

I carefully carried her out of the cell and suddenly felt the Shield spell beginning to wear off. It would only last a few more minutes so I needed to move fast.

As I made my way back through the corridor, I deeply regretted that I couldn't do anything to help the poor souls in the other cells. Some seemed beyond help anyway.

Tifa continued to sob in pain, screaming with every jarring move I made to climb the stairs. One flight after another. I wasn't going to make it to the roof.

When I reached the ground level, I knew I only had seconds before the Shield spell wore off. Guards appeared from every direction and converged on where I stood with Tifa. They fired their weapons, the Shield effectively deflecting the bullets. I gently lowered Tifa to the ground at my feet.

"Hold your fire!" yelled a voice.

I turned toward the front of the building. A man in a motorized wheelchair was making his way toward me. Walking beside him was the Zack clone.

The Shield spell faded and Tifa and I were now left unprotected. I pulled my swords out of my harness and held them up defensively.

Floyd Dalton stopped several yards away from me. "Do you really believe you can fend off the firepower surrounding you?"

Without turning my head, I panned my eyes around. The guards had stopped shooting, but their weapons were still raised and ready to fire. There were more than fifty of them, I was sure of it.

"You don't have a chance in hell of walking out of here alive, Strife."

"You have what you want," I yelled back. "Let us go."

Dalton snorted in disgust. "That snot-nosed punk thinks he could fool me with that grisly piece of swine flesh?"

So much for Rufus thinking it would take Dalton awhile before he'd figure out the piece of flesh he had wasn't from the extraterrestrial, Jenova.

I briefly glanced around again. The odds of me hitting the fifty-something guards with whatever spells I could caste…and not get sprayed with bullets…well, they weren't very good odds. I looked down at Tifa. She was squirming in pain. Anything fired at us would hit her for sure. But I had to consider the circumstances. If Dalton captured us, there was no telling what he'd do to me and Tifa. I wasn't going to end up in one of the cells, with pieces of me missing. What the hell was Dalton doing with them anyway? Most of all I wasn't going to let Tifa suffer anymore. If I had to, I'd make sure he didn't take us alive.

"Why'd you have to hurt her?" I asked, trying really hard not to just lunge at the man in the wheelchair and rip out his eyes.

"That young girl managed to incapacitate fifteen of my best men. Hurt her? She's lucky I didn't toss her into a pool of Mako to drown."

I wasn't pleased to hear the reason Tifa received the beating was because she had fought back, but I was gratified to know that she had at least taken a few of them down. Her injuries would heal, but I needed to get her the hell out first. "Let her go and you can have me."

Dalton started to laugh, an annoying cackle that sent a chill up my spine. "You don't seem to understand. I don't want you anymore than I want her. What I want are the remaining pieces of Jenova and I want Shinra to deliver them to me on a silver platter."

"He's not going to do it." I wasn't one hundred percent certain of my answer, I just hoped Shinra wasn't stupid enough to do such a thing. Dalton would kill us anyway.

"Well, then both of you are going to die a slow, painful death for his lack of cooperation."

My eyes shifted to the man standing beside Dalton, his Mako-enhanced blue eyes glowing in the darkness, similarly to mine. His buster sword was hanging off his back and his arms were folded across his chest. There was a small smile on his face…just the way Zack would look if he were alive.

_There's a chance, Cloud. Dalton doesn't have full control._

I don't know what to do, I thought to myself.

_You'll find a way._

"Why're you doing this?" I asked Dalton. I needed to stall him so I could think of a way out of here.

"To begin with I want that spawn of Shinra dead. I helped him get what he wanted and when I asked for help, he kicked me to the curb. I asked for a piece of Jenova and he sent me an executioner. A bullet to the back of the head. Didn't kill me but this is the result," he motioned to himself in the wheelchair. "I used to be the best."

I decided to sting him alittle...right where it would hurt the most. "Sephiroth was the best."

"I _made_ Sephiroth!" Seemed like I struck a serious nerve. "He was nothing until I took him under my wing!"

I motioned toward Zack. "Zack would know. He's a First Class SOLDIER."

"Zack is dead." Dalton waved a dismissive hand toward the man standing beside his wheelchair. "He's just a clone, hardly worthy of Zack Fair's reputation."

A noticeable flinch crossed Zack's face. Seemed like another nerve was struck. It was obvious to me that the clone really believed he was the one and only Zack Fair.

If I could just get him riled up alittle, maybe I could create a distraction long enough to make a move. "He does what you ask? All your dirty work?"

"He does exactly what I ask. He's merely a remnant in the grand scheme of things."

That produced a growing scowl on the Zack clone's face. Perfect, he was really getting pissed.

"What're you going to do with the remaining pieces of Jenova?" I asked.

Dalton grinned maniacally. "She will lead me to power, paving the way for me to obtain full control."

"World domination. How original. I should have known." I gave him a crooked smile. "So what're you going to do, grow the missing pieces of Jenova and make her whole again?"

"You are a very perceptive young man, Strife."

My smile faded. I meant it as a joke. I didn't think he'd actually consider such a thing. "You have no idea what you're doing, Dalton. If you resurrect that creature, it'll kill you and everyone else on this planet. It tried to destroy the Cetra centuries ago"

"The Cetra were weak. They didn't understand the power they were dealing with."

"There's one Cetra left that would disagree with you."

"Ah, yes. The last Cetra. Perhaps I will focus my attention on her next."

"You leave Aeris out of this!" Zack suddenly blurted out.

I was surprised at his outburst. Apparently Aeris held a piece of his heart, just like the real Zack.

"Shut up!" Dalton yelled toward Zack and touched a button on a small panel installed on the arm of the wheelchair.

The Zack clone spasmed, face cringing in pain. Dalton just zapped him through the Capitulation Patch.

Dalton continued to yell. "Don't ever tell me what to do! Is that understood?!"

I could tell from the expression on Zack's face, he was about to snap.

Dalton turned back to me. "Enough wasting time, Strife. Your friends are not coming to save the day. Drop your weapons and remove your wrist guards."

My eyes traveled to the clone. He was looking right at me, teeth clenched, his face red with anger. But was it directed fully at Dalton?

_You've got him, Cloud. It's now or never._

The voice of the real Zack rang in my head as the clone reached up to the side of his neck.

I tossed my swords several feet away on the ground, drawing Dalton's attention away from the clone.

With teeth clenched, the Zack clone ripped the Capitulation Patch off.

"Pick up his weapons, Zack," Dalton said over his shoulder. "And make sure he removes those wrist guards. I don't want him using his materia."

Instead of following Dalton's orders, Zack sent a wall of ice toward the guards to my left. At the same time he caste a Shield spell over me and Tifa.

A second later the shooting started. Bullets rained on us, effectively bouncing off the invisible shield.

Dalton's eyes widened and he pounded his fist on his instrument panel, realizing that he no longer had control of Zack. "No!"

It was time to end this now. I had had enough of Dalton and his bullshit. I raised my fists and summoned Ifrit.

Then I threw myself to the ground to cover Tifa just as the denizen of Hell exploded from the ground with a bone-jarring roar. The guards all froze in terror, staring at the giant God floating several feet above the ground, breathing flames from his mouth as he assessed the enemy.

"Shoot him!" yelled Dalton and he spun his wheelchair around, trying to flee back into the building.

As the guards all focused their weapons on Ifrit, the Fire God sent a dozen massive fireballs in every direction, the flames engulfing everything in their path.

I closed my eyes and buried my face in Tifa's hair as the destruction continued around us.

Minutes later, as an eerie silence filled the air, I raised my head. The wall of fire receded and there was nothing left alive. The motorized wheelchair stood empty, smoke rising from the charred leather seat, Dalton's body gone completely. So much for his world domination plans.

Exhaling one final breath of fire, Ifrit vanished back into the earth. He left a harsh wind in his wake that lasted several seconds.

Tifa was panting breathlessly beneath me. I hadn't meant to put my weight on her scarred back. I just wanted to protect her from Ifrit's fire. As I carefully raised myself off her, I looked around again. The ground in every direction was littered with smoldering bodies. Some were still on fire. The smell of burning flesh was sickening.

I reached for my cellphone and called Cid. "Any day now, Smokestack."

"Be there in a flash," replied the pilot of the Shera.

I stood up and caught a movement to my right.

It was the Zack clone. He dragged himself up on his hands and knees before standing up. He brushed the dirt off his SOLDIER uniform and gave me a surprised look. "I should be dead."

I gave Zack a half smile. "I bet you're going to get that a lot." Ifrit obviously sensed the good and spared him. But I was still a bit leery though. I don't trust him, I thought to myself. He tried to kill me.

_So did the Turks, but you trust them now._

From the corner of my eye, I saw the Shera emerge from the cloudy sky. The airship came down at an alarming rate, but I trusted the pilot without question.

I bent to gather Tifa in my arms again. She whimpered in pain. "I'm sorry, Teef. Just alittle longer." I turned toward Zack. "If you don't have anywhere else to go, you're welcome to tag along."

"You think Aeris will be surprised when she sees me?" he asked as he walked to my discarded swords and picked them up.

My thought was that she'd probably faint. But I knew it would totally draw her attention away from me. Zack was her first love and I was still certain she only liked me because I reminded her of him.

I patiently waited for the ramp to come down before I carried Tifa inside the airship, the Zack clone behind me.

The second we appeared in the bridge, a dozen guns…and a gun arm…cocked and aimed in Zack's direction, ready to fire.

I glanced around at the angry faces, all eyes staring at the man behind me. "It's okay. He helped me."

"What happened to Dalton?" asked Rufus as he holstered his pistol back inside his jacket.

Zack spoke up before I could. "He's roach food."

"His plans involved resurrecting Jenova," I added and stared into Rufus's eyes. "But that's never going to happen because you're gonna destroy the remains, right?"

Shinra smiled smugly. "Of course, Cloud." Then his eyes drifted to the burden in my arms. "Is my sister all right?"

"They worked her over real good."

"Can I take her?"

Tifa tightened her grip around my neck and protested with an agonized moan.

"No. Just stay away," I warned and carefully sat down on the floor, Tifa cradled in my arms.

"So we're supposed to trust this fuck?" snarled Cid, still glaring toward Zack. "No offense."

Zack smiled. "None taken."

"Just get us back to Healin, Cid," I insisted. "We'll have plenty of time to debate your concerns later."

As Cid headed back to the ship's controls with a disgruntled growl, the others all put their weapons away. But I knew they were still vigilant.

Yuffie walked over with a blanket and carefully tucked it around Tifa. "Is she going to be all right?" she whispered.

I didn't want to give Yuffie false hopes, but I wanted to believe Tifa was mentally fine, if not physically. "We'll find out soon enough."

"I want to help. If there's anything I can do…"

I nodded. "Thanks." As she walked away, I bent to place a gentle kiss on Tifa's forehead. My eyes shifted toward Zack.

He walked over and sat down beside me against the wall. "I want you to know that I stopped them from touching her."

I was afraid to ask what he meant by that. But I had an idea. "I appreciate it."

"I didn't do it because I cared. I just thought it was pointless."

"You helped us, so you must obviously care now."

He shrugged. "It feels good knowing I'm no longer anyone's pawn."

I knew exactly what that felt like. Back in the days of AVALANCE, Sephiroth had me believing I was a pawn. He forced me to hand him the Black Materia that summoned Meteor and he nearly forced me to kill Aeris.

Tifa moaned softly.

I shifted my arm so it wasn't directly touching her back. It was disturbing to think how she must have screamed when they delivered the lashes. A wave of guilt threatened to overwhelm me. I should have been protecting her. It was my fault she was hurt.

I was glad Dalton and his men were dead…every last one of them.

_

* * *

Please review. Thanks._


	24. Trust

Author's Note – This is the final chapter…at last! The story actually turned out to be a lot longer than I originally planned. Thanks to everyone who reviewed along the way…I love you all!

Enjoy the ending.

**

* * *

Chapter 24 – Trust**

My heart was pounding so hard and fast, I thought I was having a heart attack. Since when did I become a fucking weakling? Since when did I give a rat's ass about anything or anyone…since Tifa Lockhart became a part of my life again. That's when. Now I couldn't seem to focus on anything but her.

First it was Aeris for the longest time. She wondered why I couldn't be reasonable and start a relationship with her. She didn't understand me at all. Hell, I didn't understand myself at the time…and I quickly came to discover my _heart_ was preventing me from moving forward with Aeris because _it_ belonged to Tifa.

My heart belonged to her. My soul…everything. I couldn't make any decisions without thinking how it would affect Tifa or my relationship with her.

"Cloud!!!"

I stared at the closed door on the other side of the bedroom. The screams and cries were coming from the adjoining bathroom where Aeris and Yuffie were attempting to care for Tifa's injuries.

This was Rufus Shinra's apartment at Healin. He volunteered to give it up to Tifa and I while she healed. We needed the privacy and it wouldn't have been good for Denzel and Marlene to see her this way anyway.

When we reached the eastern continent, I had wanted to take Tifa to the hospital, but she begged me not to take her there. She couldn't bear the thought of strangers taking care of her. I knew how she felt. I hated the idea of anyone touching me, which was why I tended to my own injuries…whenever I got any.

Besides, Aeris had incredible healing abilities and I trusted her more than any doctor.

I glanced toward Shinra who stood facing the window, his arms folded, his expression unreadable. His usual stoic self…even though his own flesh and blood. But I was pretty sure he was feeling as uneasy as I was, even if he didn't show it.

"Noooo!! I want Cloud!"

The cries shot up my spine and I spun away to face the fireplace. I placed an arm on the mantle and pressed my forehead against the back of my hand as I closed my eyes tightly. Tears squeezed from my lids and dampened my cheeks. Dammit, why couldn't I be strong like Rufus and not show how upset I was. I was literally falling apart from the inside out. Hearing Tifa screaming so hysterically was ripping me to pieces.

"Clooooouuuuuuuuddddd!!!"

I heard enough. As I wiped my eyes, I marched toward the door and threw it open.

Aeris whirled around, her face looking completely distressed, her clothes half soaked, her hair disheveled. She reminded me of someone who was trying to bathe an uncooperative elephant.

I tried to keep my anger under control. It didn't look like either of the girls were trying to hurt Tifa in any way. "What the hell's going on?" I asked in frustration as I closed the door behind me.

At the other end of the bathroom, surrounded by louvered windows, was a large whirlpool tub. Sitting in the center of it was Tifa, the water churning white around her pale shoulders. She raised her tear-filled eyes up at me. "Cloud," she gasped out miserably and with noticeable relief.

"She won't let either of us touch her," said Aeris. "Please say something to her."

I walked toward the tub, stepping into a large puddle of water surrounding it. "Tifa, it's okay. They're just trying to help you."

Tifa quieted alittle, until Yuffie tried to approach. "Noooo!!!"

I turned toward Aeris. "Just go. I'll take care of her."

Aeris nodded. "There's some strong healing potion in the water, Cloud." She put an arm around Yuffie's shoulder and led the young ninja away.

"Thanks you guys," I said before they walked out and closed the door behind them.

As I kicked off my boots, I pulled off my sweatshirt and quickly removed my trousers. In only my boxers, I carefully stepped into the tub and lowered myself down into the hot churning water. I hesitated to touch Tifa, afraid that she might resist and start screaming again.

But Tifa immediately moved toward me, wrapping her arms around my chest and leaning her head against my shoulder.

I waited until her breathing quieted before I attempted to touch her. Reaching for a cloth on the side of the tub and soaking it in the healing water, I gently brought it to her face, wiping away at some of the dirt that still lingered there and revealing the scratches and bruises I hadn't noticed before. I ran the cloth along the side of her neck and over her shoulder, visually inspecting her for other injuries.

She clung tightly to me, both of her arms locked around my chest. "I knew it…" she whispered hoarsely. "I knew you'd come for me."

Just to reassure her, I bent to brush my lips against her cheek. "You're safe now, Teef. I won't let anything happen to you again, I promise." I held my lips pressed to her skin. The guilt was eating away at me…forcing tears from my eyes again. "I'm sorry it wasn't sooner. We didn't know where he took you."

She didn't say anything else, just stared at the churning white water.

I soaked the cloth again and gently ran it over her forehead and hair, repeating it several more times to dissolve the mud caked in her knotted hair. After that I brought the cloth down to gently run it over the gashes on her back. "Am I hurting you?" I asked, just to get a response out of her.

She softly mumbled something.

I bent closer to her face. "What was that?"

She didn't say anything right away, but I saw the tears suddenly spilling from her eyes and the way her lips began to tremble. "You won't want me like this."

I didn't understand what she meant at first. "What're you talking about, Teef?"

"Look at me. I'm such a mess."

"The scars will heal."

"I just want to die," she sobbed.

"No!" I wasn't going to let her fall into the depressive abyss I knew all too well. I wrapped both of my arms around her and hugged her tightly. "Don't you dare think like that! You have people that care about you and love you." I squeezed her against my chest and pressed my lips to the side of her face. "What about me? You know I can't live without you."

"Everything hurts…I can't…"

"Yes, you can. I've been there. I know all about that hell." I kissed the space behind her ear. "Scars are superficial. Did you forget how many I have?"

She didn't respond.

"Remember when we were at your school and the Bandersnatches attacked? One of them clawed me. You rubbed the potion on me and the scars healed."

"They didn't disappear."

"No, but it doesn't matter."

"Yes it does."

"Why?" She had never been vain before. Where was this suddenly coming from? Not that she didn't care about her appearance in the past, but she just never cared about a scuffed knee or a scar here and there. Granted, this was a lot worse and maybe I needed to be alittle more sympathetic. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to make light of it, Tifa."

"It's all my fault." She sighed. "It just made me so angry…that I let myself get caught so easily. I didn't care. I provoked them, knowing they'd hurt me in the end."

"If it had been me, I would have done the same thing."

"But you wouldn't be cowering like an injured child."

"You're not cowering. You're in pain and I know sitting in this water hurts. But I also know you're strong and you'll get through this."

She removed her arms from around my chest and wrapped them around my neck. "Thanks for making me feel better, Cloud."

I gently caressed her back, brushing my thumbs lightly over the scars I knew would heal with continued exposure to Aeris's healing potions. "So I heard you laid out fifteen of those goons."

Tifa shrugged. "I might have broken a few noses."

I cupped her face with both hands and tilted it up. "I'm not gonna tell you it was a stupid thing to do. I'm proud of you for fighting back. I'll make a fighter out of you yet."

A small smile appeared on her lips. It's what I had hoped for. "So I can kick your ass?"

I smiled back. "Someone has to do it."

We sat in the tub together in silence, the only sound coming from the whirlpool's motor churning the water around us.

After awhile I could feel my fingertips getting wrinkled from being in the water for so long.

Tifa pulled away from me. "Get me out of this tub so I can apologize to Aeris and Yuffie for being such a bitch."

"That's my girl." I gave her a lingering kiss and was glad to feel her respond. Maybe she wasn't as mentally scarred as I thought she'd be. I had always known her to be strong-minded and strong-willed. She'd get over this and it would only make her stronger.

* * *

I made sure Tifa was comfortable sitting up in the king-sized bed, her back resting against two soft pillows. "Are you sure you're okay?" 

"Yes, I'm fine." She accepted my quick kiss, but swatted my hands as I tried to adjust the covers around her.

"You need something to drink?"

"No."

"Something to eat?"

She sighed heavily. "No."

"Something to read?"

"No! You are the worst nurse _ever_!"

"Sorry." But I wasn't offended. "I haven't had much practice."

"Will you please let Aeris and Yuffie in?"

I gave her a small smile, knowing she wanted to make things right with Aeris and Yuffie after I had to kick them out of the bathroom earlier. Tifa felt ashamed of the way she behaved toward them when all they were trying to do was help her.

I walked toward the bedroom door and opened it. Everyone was sitting in the den. Rufus, Aeris, Yuffie, Cid, Barret, Vincent, Reno and Rude. The only one missing was Zack and I told him to stay away until I called him. I didn't want Aeris freaking out so soon after freaking out over Tifa's condition when we arrived six hours ago.

All eyes looked expectantly at me. I pointed to Aeris and Yuffie. They practically launched themselves out of their seats and rushed into the bedroom with me.

I closed the door and leaned back on it, crossing my arms insipidly, knowing I'd have to listen to a half hour of girly apologies and pardons. Not exactly the way I wanted to spend my time with Tifa.

Aeris and Yuffie didn't even make it halfway to the bed before all three girls burst into tears.

"I'm so sorry!" howled Tifa.

Aeris sat on the bed to Tifa's right and Yuffie on the left.

"Oh, sweetie, it's okay," cooed Aeris, carefully hugging Tifa.

Yuffie did the same on the other side. The three of them hugged in silence and cried and making me feel totally uncomfortable.

"If you don't mind, I'll be outside," I announced.

When the three of them didn't even acknowledge me, I walked out of the room.

Again all eyes went to me when I came out. I shrugged timidly. "Girl talk."

Vincent stood up. "I have to get back to Nibelheim."

"Yeah, sure, Vincent. I understand."

Cid got up, too. "And I gotta get back to Shera before she divorces me."

"Thanks for your help, guys." I watched them walk out before turning to Barret. "You don't need to hang around, Barret."

He shrugged and got up, briefly glancing toward Rufus. "If you don't need me anymore, then I'll go check on Marlene and head back to the oil rig."

"Thanks."

"Anytime." He gave Shinra another cursory glance before the big guy walked out.

That left Rufus and the two Turks.

Rufus was talking quietly on his cellphone. "I don't care how much it costs…I need it completed by the end of the week…Then bring in whoever you need to get it done…What do you think? I don't make demands like this if it wasn't important."

I walked over to where Reno was sitting on the couch and I sat on the coffee table opposite him.

The redhead gave me a dull glance, like he was bored. And maybe he was. There was no reason for anyone to be sitting out here, except Rufus who was waiting his turn to see Tifa.

"There's something we need to talk about, Reno."

When Reno averted his eyes, I knew he knew the subject.

"It's about Zack."

He swallowed hard and tried to resume his look of indifference. But he failed miserably and refused to look me in the eye again. "Hey, it's no big deal, man."

"I don't think you mean that."

Reno finally looked at me and I saw the hurt in his blue eyes. "You don't know anything."

"You told me you were falling for Aeris."

"Yeah? Well maybe I wasn't thinking when I said it. Maybe I happen to know she digs _you_ more than _me_. Whatever happens, it doesn't matter. If she wants to hook up with that dude, fine with me."

"She might not even feel the same way about him as before." I knew I was giving him false hopes, but it could happen.

"Right, she'll pick me over a First Class SOLDIER who just so happens to be her first love. Yeah, that'll happen."

"I'm sorry, Reno. I don't know what else to tell you."

He shrugged. "It's fine. As long as she's happy. She deserves to be happy after all the shit we put her through over the years."

It was strange hearing Reno talk this way. He was worse than me when it came to sarcasm and pessimism. He never had anything nice to say. But this was the nicest thing he had ever said…especially about Aeris. Maybe there was some hope for him. "I'm sorry," I said again.

He looked up with false cheer. "Hey, maybe Tifa can hook me up with one of her friends from school."

I rolled my eyes. Or maybe he'd never change.

* * *

A couple days later, I led Aeris by the hand down the hallway, heading toward the billiard room. 

"Cloud, where are we going?" she asked.

"You'll see."

"But I promised Tifa I'd sit and watch TV with her tonight."

"No offense, Aeris, but I need some alone time with my girlfriend." It was true. Ever since Tifa was well enough to see the others, not a single moment passed that there wasn't someone in the bedroom with her. I thought about putting in a revolving door…Huh? What was I thinking? I needed to install a deadbolt lock and put a couple of attack dogs outside the door so no one would come near.

Aeris giggled. "Oh, I get it. You're trying to get rid of me."

"I mean it in the nicest way possible. But that goes for everyone, not just you."

We reached the billiard room and I tugged her inside with me.

The second we stepped into the room, Zack jumped off the bar stool he had been sitting on and stared expectantly toward the woman standing beside me.

Aeris froze in her tracks and her hand fell away from mine.

I turned toward her, noting the look of surprise on her face. If she fainted, I was there to catch her.

But luckily she didn't faint. Her eyes filled with tears as she stared at the man who was nearly one hundred percent Zack Fair. "Zack…"

"Hey, babe," Zack uttered in his cool demeanor. He flashed her his priceless smile. "It's good to see you again."

I had expected tears and shock and maybe some fainting. But what I didn't expect was for her to suddenly whirl around and rush out of the room like Sephiroth was chasing after her.

Zack let out a brief chuckle. "Not exactly the reaction I had hoped for."

"Yeah," I agreed as I held up a finger. "Be right back." I headed out after Aeris.

She was walking back the way we came, her feet moving as fast as they could carry her.

I caught up and grabbed her by the arm to stop her. "Aeris, why'd you run away?"

"That's not Zack," she said, tears still falling down her cheeks.

I wasn't sure what to say, but I had to try something. "Well, no…he's not exactly the real Zack…but he's as close to Zack as anyone will ever be."

"It's not the same."

"I know, but can't you just give him a chance? He really wanted to see you."

She angrily pulled her arm out of my grasp. "Why did you bring him here?"

I shrugged unsurely. I really wasn't sure why, other than thinking maybe she'd forget about me if she had someone else to focus on…someone like Zack. I knew she was still upset that I didn't feel about her the way she felt about me. But I was almost positive she liked me because I reminded her of Zack. She even admitted it to me once at the Gold Saucer. So why wouldn't a copy of Zack be good enough? "I thought maybe…you'd be happy to see him."

"Where did he come from, Cloud?"

"He's a clone. Dalton created him using samples of Zack's blood from SOLDIER. He acts just like Zack…really. He said he studied tapes to get it right."

"What tapes?"

"When I was at the SOLDIER academy, I remember Zack mentioned having to do visual recordings after every mission. He said he liked to talk about you on the tapes. I guess maybe the clone became interested then."

"Cloud, I hate you for bringing him here," she defied. "Don't you know it took me forever to get over him…and then you…I just can't." She ran off, her hands covering her face.

I let her go this time. There really wasn't anything else I could say to her anyway. But it hurt to hear her say she hated me for bringing him here. I turned and slowly walked back toward the billiard room.

Zack looked up from his drink when I walked back in. "Couldn't convince her to come back?" he asked alittle hurt.

I sat down on the barstool beside him. "Sorry, Zack. I guess she's still hung up on you and can't get passed the fact that you're dead and…" And that you're not the real thing. But I didn't say it outloud. Maybe all Aeris needed to do was talk to him. I mean, I was alittle skeptical at first, too. Zack and I had gotten close in the academy. He helped me with my studies and helped me work on my fighting skills. He even helped me with my weapons training, including target practice. The fact was, I had seen him die right before my eyes and a piece of me had died there with him. It was disturbing to see him alive and walking around…forget the fact that he had tried to kill me at the Gold Saucer… I wanted to give him a chance because I really longed for his company. I wanted him to be the real thing.

"It's okay, kid. Maybe it's just not meant to be. Besides, you said she's sort of with someone else right now, right?"

"Yeah. Reno."

"Reno's the guy with the red ponytail."

I shrugged. "You know, I'm pretty sure he's not who she wants to end up with."

"Yeah? And how are you pretty sure?"

I turned to look at him. "She told me." Gods, he was exactly like Zack, down to the scar on his left cheek. Dalton thought of almost everything. Not the eyes though. They may have looked exactly like Zack's, but there was a different depth to them. They lacked Zack's life experiences. They lacked his spark.

He took a sip from his drink. "Well, I think she's in love with someone else," he said with a smile, looking somewhat amused.

"Like who?" I asked too quickly before realizing I already knew the answer.

"You."

I shook my head, wanting to quickly dispel that thought plan right out of his mind. "No, she thinks she loves me. But it's you she's in love with…or rather…Zack Fair before he was killed."

"So you think I might still have a chance?"

"I dunno. Aeris is a very complicated girl. Just give her a chance to get used to the idea of you being around again."

He looked away with a laugh. "Around?" He shrugged and gulped down the rest of his drink. "Sure, I'll be around."

When I saw Zack suddenly focus on something passed me, I turned in the opposite direction.

Aeris was standing at the doorway, her green eyes wider than normal. She looked terrified, but she took several small steps into the room.

Zack leaned toward me, his eyes remaining on Aeris. "Whatta she like to drink?" he mumbled without moving his lips.

"The hard stuff," I mumbled back before turning back to Aeris.

"Pour a glass of the stuff in the purple bottle," Zack told the bartender.

I got up, thinking it was probably best if I left them to talk alone. When Aeris touched my arm as I started to pass, I stopped in front of her. "You gonna be okay?" I asked her. "You want me to stay?"

She shook her head, her eyes still glistening with tears as she looked up at me. "I'm sorry about what I said, Cloud. I don't hate you."

"I know." I took her hand from my arm and squeezed it with a smile. "I'm glad you changed your mind." I released her hand and walked out of the billiard room.

* * *

When I walked into the apartment Tifa and I were borrowing from Rufus, I headed straight for the bedroom. It was quiet. No kids running around, jumping on furniture and playing the stereo too loudly. No pesky ninja pretending to dust the furniture just so she could hang out. No Turks hanging around in the den, like Tifa needed round the clock protection. And now, no Aeris because she was busy dealing with the reappearance of Zack Fair. 

I rubbed my hands together with a grin…alone at last…and opened the bedroom door.

Tifa was on her cellphone, sitting up in bed. "My Gods, the things he can do with those great hands…" She immediately clammed up when she saw me. "Uh…I…I have to go….Yeah, I'll call you real soon. Bye." She tossed her phone aside on the bed and raised her arms up toward me. "Where've you been? I missed you."

I crawled up on the king-sized bed, which I thought was way too big, and carefully embraced Tifa. "Well, I got Aeris and Zack together."

She hugged me tighter. "Really? How did it go?"

"Alittle shaky at first, but I think they'll be fine." My hand automatically went under her thin tank top and grazed over the scars on her back. They were almost healed, thanks to Aeris's potions. "Who were you on the phone with?"

"Sara and Jaden." She started kissing the side of my neck.

"Talking about me?" I hissed when she bit me. "Owww!"

"What makes you think I was talking about you?" Her mouth came up to cover mine in a heated kiss.

"Who else has great hands?" It seemed like an eternity since the last time we had kissed like this.

She giggled. "Rude…he just left fifteen minutes ago after giving me an amazing back massage."

I pulled back, pretending to be angry. "Excuse me?"

She laughed harder. "I'm just teasing. No one can compare to your hands."

"That's better."

Tifa stood up on her knees and pulled my teeshirt up and over my head. "I want you naked right now."

I wanted me naked, too and I wanted her naked. But the dreaded voice of reason overpowered the voice of my growing love spear. "Nah, I don't think that's a good idea." It's what came out of my mouth, but I made no move to stop her from unzipping my pants and I couldn't control my wandering hands as they tugged her tank top up. "I don't…wanna…hurt your….back." It was hard to talk with her tongue in my mouth.

Tifa pushed me down on the bed with surprising strength. "Don't worry. I like being on top anyway." She straddled my hips and bent forward to pull on my lower lip with her teeth. "I like having control over you."

She was lucky I loved her. I didn't relinquish control very easily. But then again, I was pretty sure when it came to Tifa, my control went right out the window.

* * *

As the end of the week came, things were pretty much back to normal, except we were still staying at Healin. I was kind of getting used to the place, but I knew we couldn't stay there forever and live off of Rufus's charity. I needed to get back to my delivery service and Aeris needed to get back to the tavern once the minor reconstruction of the front entrance was complete. Tifa was going to stay with us until we eventually got our own place. 

Money really wasn't going to be a problem for quite awhile, even though I tried to give all of it back to Rufus.

"_Take your money back, Rufus."_

"_Why?"_

"_I don't feel right taking it."_

"_It was a job, Cloud."_

"_I know, but I would have done it for free if I had remembered Tifa when I first agreed to do the job."_

"_I insist you take something."_

"_Alright, I'll take enough so I can build a new bike and something extra for Tifa and I to get our own place."_

"_Fine."_

"_Put the rest in another account to pay for schooling for Marlene and Denzel."_

"_Done."_

Of the five hundred thousand gil Rufus had paid me for the job of protecting Tifa at the Icicle Village Academy, I kept one third of it. The rest would go to Marlene and Denzel for their education.

"Cloud! Hurry up!" Tifa called out from the den. "I can hear the airship approaching."

I was tying my shoelaces in the bedroom. "Be there in a sec."

Ten minutes ago, Rufus sent Rude to deliver a message. He wanted Tifa and I to meet him at the landing pad. Cid was coming in his airship for something. Rude wouldn't elaborate, which pissed me off to no end. But Tifa and I got ready anyway.

I came out of the bedroom. "Are you sure you can make it?"

"I've been walking at least one hour a day. I can make it to the landing pad. It's not that far."

I took her hand and we walked out of the apartment together. It really wasn't a far walk, but I just worried Tifa would collapse from exhaustion. Especially after we spent the last couple hours this morning getting frisky and romping around in bed.

When Tifa and I got to the landing area, the Shera was already parked and the engines were shutting down. Rufus, Reno and Rude were already standing there. The only ones missing were Aeris and Zack and I knew they had left for a couple of days to spend some time together in Costa Del Sol.

The ramp lowered under the airship and the usual clan appeared. Yuffie carrying her shuriken. Barret hoisting his heavy gun arm. Cid with a cigarette dangling from his mouth. I expected Vincent to step out any second, but it was just the three of them.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to read the various expressions on their faces. Yuffie looked cheerful as a baby chocobo, Barret looked raring to pick a fight with anyone and Cid looked pissed off at the world as usual.

"Why don't you ask the king of Gaia?" Cid motioned toward Shinra.

I glanced toward Rufus.

He had an uncharacteristically sheepish smile. "Just a token of my appreciation, Cloud." He waved his hand toward the airship.

A familiar rumbling sound echoed from the ramp. I trained my eyes there for a suspicious second before a spitting image of Fenrir was maneuvered down the ramp, Vincent sitting on the seat. My mouth fell open. It was Fenrir…or something very similar. But how? The bike was in pieces at the bottom of the chasm near Bone Village. Whatever was left of it was unsalvageable.

I turned back to Shinra. "Where did this come from?"

"I had it built exactly to the specifications supplied to me by Captain Highwind."

Vincent pulled up in front of us and kicked the stand in place before dismounting. He gave me a crooked smile. "Rides like a charm, Cloud."

I felt my phone vibrating in my pocket and I retrieved it quickly, wanting to inspect my present. When I glanced at the display, I discovered I had received a text message from Zack. I opened my phone and read it: _-- You trust too quickly, Cloud. --_

Tifa squeezed my hand, drawing my attention away from the cryptic message. "Let's go for a ride."

I slipped my phone back in my pocket and gave her a smile. "Did you know about this?"

She smiled very demurely. "It was hard not to tell you, Cloud. Rufus told me the other day. I thought it was a great idea."

I walked over to Shinra and held my hand out with a smile. "Thanks, Shinra. You did something right for a change."

Rufus returned my smile and shook my hand. "I figured I'd save you the time and money."

I turned to the shiny new motorcycle and walked over to mount it. As Tifa came toward me, I held my hand out to help her mount behind me. I turned the left handle, revving the engine. It was loud…even louder than Fenrir.

Tifa scooted close against my back and wrapped her arms around my waist. "What're you going to name her?"

As I glanced over my shoulder at Tifa, Rufus's cellphone rang. "I'm not sure yet. I'll have to think about it."

"Who is this?!" Rufus suddenly yelled.

I glanced toward him in surprise, never having heard him raise his voice like that before.

His brows narrowed as he listened to the caller. "You goddamned bastard…" He looked in my direction. This was the first time I had ever seen Rufus Shinra lose his cool. He removed the phone from his ear and pressed a button.

"Do you have me on speaker?" asked the voice through the phone.

My heart jumped into my throat when I realized I recognized the voice. Floyd Dalton…but it couldn't be. Ifrit fried him right out of his wheelchair.

"I'm sure some of you recognize me. For those that don't…allow me to introduce myself. I am General Floyd Dalton." He chuckled. "And yes, I am alive and well."

Everyone started jabbering and swearing loudly. Rufus and I were the only ones who remained silent.

The man on the phone cleared his throat. "If you don't mind, I'm very busy and I don't have a lot of time to be chatting."

The talking died down.

"I'm sure you're all wondering about the man in the wheelchair. Well, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that wasn't me. He was a genetically engineered clone, made to look like me in a more incapacitated manner. I am not in a wheelchair and I am physically fit and healthy."

Barret was growling like an angered animal and clenching his fist so tightly it was shaking.

"I have big plans, my friends. Big plans to create a whole army of clones. And by the way, my extensive knowledge in genetic engineering and growth acceleration will ensure my success."

The more he talked, the sicker I felt.

"To the ex-members of the terrorist organization called AVALANCHE, you aren't excluded from my project. I have a generous supply of blood taken from each of you during various past attempts to thwart Shinra Corp."

"We're not terrorists, you sick mother fucker!" yelled Cid.

Dalton chuckled again. "Of course not."

Cid was about to say something else, but I shot him a glare and held up a hand to shut him up. The pilot wasn't happy, but he remained silent.

"Let me take a moment to explain what's happened so far. Over the last few weeks I've made countless death threats to President Shinra, asking for…let's just say, things I really don't need. So far he has been uncooperative in providing me what I've asked for. Now I understand young Rufus is much smarter than his father, so I know he's seen through the façade to the extent that I've asked for unnecessary items. And based on the supposed trap set for me at the Gold Saucer, I am assured you are well aware of what I'm after. Is that correct, Shinra?"

All eyes went to him.

"You want the remaining pieces of Jenova," Rufus replied, his demeanor back to being cold as ice.

"That's right. Now since I was present when the pieces were retrieved from the Northern Cavern, I know what they look like. I have a photogenic memory, so you cannot fool me with cheap, shoddy replicas."

"What makes you think we're just going to turn it all over to you?" I asked.

"Let me guess. That's Cloud Strife who just spoke, correct?"

"That's right," I replied defensively.

"The young man who wanted to be a SOLDIER. Yes, I remember you well. You barely survived the Mako injections at the academy. But that was, of course, because the late Professor Hojo decided to give you more than the recommended dosage…just to see what would happen. It was an unfortunate experiment which cost you your chance to become what you dreamed about."

I didn't like the way this guy was making light of my situation. "It wasn't so unfortunate. I'm better than any SOLDIER ever was." I had a right to be conceited about my own abilities.

"Yes, but of course. You've defeated the great Sephiroth not once, not twice, but three times. Quite a feat for someone so small and incompetent."

"Go fuck yourself," I yelled, contravening my own rule to not lose my cool around assholes like Dalton. "I could defeat you with one hand and blindfolded."

"I have no desire to waste my time on someone as insignificant as you. You're like an annoying virus that just won't go away."

"Why don't you show yourself and put your money where your mouth is? Or are you worried I might beat you?"

"Enough! Be prepared to comply to my demands when next I call or you and a large portion of the world's population will suffer the consequences. Not to mention the fact that I hold the life of someone very special to all of you. Goodbye for now." A loud click followed his last statement.

Someone special? I glanced over my shoulder. Tifa was still sitting behind me on the new bike so he couldn't be referring to her.

Rude shook his head in disgust. "He's been playing us all along, just to see how we would react."

"Now he knows our weaknesses," added Rufus. He glanced in my direction. "Even if we destroy the remains of Jenova, he'll unleash his clone army against us and the rest of the world."

"So what're we gonna do?" bellowed Barret. "We can't just sit on our asses and wait for him to call!"

"Can't you use your spy in the sky satellite and find this creep?" Yuffie asked Rufus.

Rufus nodded, an immoral gleam in his eye. "There's a lot we can do. But not from here."

"From where then?" I asked.

"Shinra headquarters. We need to salvage the right equipment."

Cid grinned. "This is it boys. Balls to the walls!"

A thought popped into my head and I dreaded to even think that it could be possible. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and glanced at the text message I received from Zack. _--You trust too quickly, Cloud. – _I understood the message now. How could I be so stupid? I did trust too quickly and always the wrong people.

I looked up and pushed the hair out of my eyes as I turned to Rufus. "They've got Aeris."

He didn't even bother to ask how I knew because I was pretty sure he had already come to that conclusion. The Zack clone was still working for Dalton and now Aeris was in their custody.

"Oh no," Tifa said in a low voice.

So what did I learn from all of this? First, don't trust anybody. Second, Floyd Dalton was a lot smarter and more conniving than I thought, even though Rufus had previously warned me. Third, things were really going to get ugly from now on.

So what else was new?

The End

Or is it???????

* * *

I know you're all going to PM me with cuss words I've never even heard of.  
BRING IT ON, CHILDREN!! 

No, really, sorry for leaving you all hanging like this, but now I've provided myself with a challenge to write a sequel…maybe not a long one, just enough to really bring some closure. It won't happen right away because of a couple other projects I'm working on.

First, I've got to finish the last chapter of Addiction, which I've mentioned to some of you in Review replies that the story feels kinda weird to me now because it's not Cloud and Tifa. But I can't go back and change it so I'll just let it end with my original thought in mind. Expect to see the concluding chapter sometime in March.

Second, I might write the second chapter of A Little Extra Fun. It was meant to be a one shot, but I got a lot of great feedback and some people were insisting I continue it. Expect to see this also sometime in March.

Third, I've seen a lot of stories out there that follow the FF7 game story from beginning to end. I want to try my luck at it and put my own spin to some of the dialogue. Of course I will be adding some new material, especially Cloud and Tifa's childhood years. This is a pretty big project so I'm not planning to start posting any of it unless I'm confident I can see it to the end. I don't like leaving things unfinished.

That's it for now.

Thanks again to everyone. I've tried to reply individually to your reviews when necessary. Thanks to everyone who doesn't have an account with fanfiction. And finally, thanks to RC, my work buddy, for putting up with my giggles on the opposite side of our joined cubicle and providing me with a sounding board when I get into my Cloud Strife veneration moods. It's not over til it's over, kiddo.


End file.
